My Dear Darwin

Though my crop of Drosera spathulata has grown so steadily the plants are all still D. rotundifolia—¹ I forgot to tell you that though my old p⁠⟨⁠  ⁠⟩⁠ seeded so freely, it n⁠⟨⁠ever⁠⟩⁠ opened its flowers. ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ one solitary flower— on a long spike expanded its pink petals— In all the rest the tips of those unfolded petals alone shewed themselves beyond the un⁠⟨⁠op⁠⟩⁠ened sepals—yet each ovary was crammed full of fertile seeds—

Will you congratulate your son, for me, on ⁠⟨⁠hi⁠⟩⁠s magnificent demonstration ⁠⟨⁠that⁠⟩⁠ these plants, like mankind generally, flourish best on Beef & Mutton!² His position appears to me to be unassailable

I hope to have the pleasure of shaking hands with you once more in a short time. Early in March my wife & I have promised to spend a Sunday with the Lubbocks wh⁠⟨⁠en⁠⟩⁠ I hope your health w⁠⟨⁠ill⁠⟩⁠ assume one of its be⁠⟨⁠tter⁠⟩⁠ conditions.³

I am ever y⁠⟨⁠ours⁠⟩⁠ | W. C. Wil⁠⟨⁠liamson⁠⟩⁠

Whenever the leaves of my Droseræ change into their “spathulate” condition I will take care to send you a plant or plants that you may watch their transition⁴

I have just received communication from Lesquereux. He has found in the Cincinnati Lower Silurians, true ⁠⟨⁠L⁠⟩⁠epidodendroid stems—Sphenophylla—Annulariæ, and the Devonian genus ⁠⟨⁠P⁠⟩⁠silophyton— Add this to Saporta’s ⁠⟨⁠Si⁠⟩⁠lurian Fern. Are we going to have ⁠⟨⁠an⁠⟩⁠ unchanged Flora from the ⁠⟨⁠bas⁠⟩⁠e of the silurians to the summit ⁠⟨⁠of⁠⟩⁠ the Carboniferous beds? it ⁠⟨⁠looks⁠⟩⁠ like it!⁵