Summary

Self-fertilisation in Fumariaceae.

[CD note on bees’ visiting some members of Fumariaceae.]

Summary

CD and his family have come to the seashore, driven from home by scarlet fever at Down, death [of Charles Waring Darwin], and other family illness. Sorry to miss seeing JSH.

Would be grateful to hear his objections to CD’s species speculations.

Summary

Thanks AAG for procuring an authoritative answer from T. M. Brewer on the habits of the [American] cuckoo. Surprised William Yarrell erred so much.

Wishes AAG had time to give an account of Japanese shells, which would be interesting from the geographical point of view.

Summary

Cannot come to London until Tuesday. Arriving about 11: 15.

Summary

Asks about Indian horses. Encloses questions.

Summary

CD’s health has been poor owing to hard work [on Natural selection]. He has to treat of every branch of natural history, which is beyond his strength.

Summary

Thanks for abstract of Etna paper [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 148 (1858): 703–86]. Never expected to see Élie de Beaumont’s theory ["craters of elevation"] so completely upset. "He must have picked out favourable cases for measurement."

More than satisfied by what was done at Linnean Society [joint reading of CD’s and Wallace’s papers: "Tendency of species to form varieties", Collected papers 2: 3–19]. Intends to prepare longer abstract.

Summary

Thanks WAL for specimens and observations [on scarlet runner beans]. CD is perplexed whether to account for the changes as due to simple variation or to crossing. The information will be used when he finally comes to a conclusion on the subject [see Cross and self-fertilisation, p. 151].

Summary

Thanks for HS’s Essays: [scientific, political, and speculative, vol. 1 (1858)]. Admires his general argument for the development theory.

CD is preparing an abstract on change of species. He treats subject as a naturalist, not from a general point of view. Otherwise he might have quoted HS’s argument to great advantage.

CD particularly liked articles on music and style. Expression is a favourite topic with CD. Agrees all expression is biological.

Summary

Variations in the structure of Pelargonium flowers.

Summary

Discusses domestic affairs.

Is working at the abstract of his book [Origin].

Asks WED to examine birds’ feet for dirt sticking to them, as this may represent a means of seed dispersal across seas.

Summary

Comments on letter from Georg Hartung to CL dealing with erratic boulders.

Discusses migration of plants and animals.

A letter from Thomas Thomson on heat endured by temperate plants.

Summary

Wishes to know whether differences in constitution (such as disease susceptibility) are related to differences in complexion. "Liability to such a disease as yellow fever would answer my question in the best possible way."

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Comments and criticisms on JL’s paper [possibly: "On the development of Chloëon dimidiatum", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 24 (1863): 61–78].

Summary

Thanks LJ for his MS [of "Variation of species", Rep. BAAS 26 (1856): 101–5].

Will read it at his hydropathic establishment [Moor Park], where he is going for a rest.

Summary

Arranges meeting with JDH at Thatched House Tavern.

Eager for JDH’s reaction to MS on large and small genera.

Summary

Thanks WJH for an extract on seed transport by sea. [Letter sent with 2314.]

Summary

Recommends W. B. Carpenter’s latest part of memoir on Foraminifera be published in Philosophical Transactions [R. Soc. Lond. 149 (1859): 1–41].

Summary

Extracts from MS of vol. 4 of HCW’s Cybele Britannica [1847–59] showing the diversity of views on species among botanists.

Summary

Information about about Kattywar (Kathiawari) horses in India.