Thanks for informative letter of 2 February. CD is glad to have CVN’s opinion on the crossing of varieties of melons,

has made use of his memoir on the Cucurbitaceae ["Cucurbitacées cultivées au Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle en 1862", Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) 18 (1863): 159–208]

and anticipates with great interest his work on hybridisation.

Thanks CVN for reference to the Comptes Rendus [Académie Française].

Mentions CVN’s work on Cucurbitaceae and notes that he (CD) has quoted extensively from it in Variation.

Hopes to send paper on Lythrum [Collected papers 2: 106–31] soon.

Mentions exchange of photographs.

Trifolium resupinatum is not in season.

J. Decaisne has died.

Sends a few rare seeds of Trifolium resupinatum.

Sends more Trifolium resupinatum.

In France as in England there is indignation at the insults Decaisne suffered in the last years of his life.

Charles Martins has lost his Professorship at Montpellier.

Thanks for Orchids.

Plans to publish soon on hybrids.

Congratulates CD on the Copley Medal.

Directs CD to his short memoir on crossing ["De l’hybridité", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 59 (1864): 837–45].

Thanks CD for his paper "Climbing plants" [see 4861] and for a photograph.

Hopes soon to send a copy of his memoir on hybridisation

and with it will forward a short note on the tendrils of the Cucurbitaceae.

Thanks for Variation.

Complains of a severe facial neuralgia.

He is planning to build an experimental laboratory in the south.