Sends specimens of Boronia.
Discusses the section on diclinous trees and herbs in CD’s new book [Cross and self-fertilisation, pp. 411–13]. CD’s theory that diclinism preceded hermaphroditism seems confirmed.
Believes Aegiphila to be exclusively American.
Contrasts fertilisation of Australian Acacia with Brazilian Mimosa.
Thanks CD for Forms of flowers. Comments on the chapter on cleistogamic flowers; offers some corrections.
Answers CD’s query on "bloom".
Cites cases of leguminous plants whose cleistogamic flowers produce more seed than perfect flowers. [See Forms of flowers, p. 326.]
CD’s election to the French Academy delights GB. Nationalistic prejudices have at last been overcome; congratulates him on what is now universal adoption of his views.
Has been at work on Orchideae for Genera plantarum and has found CD’s Orchids wonderfully useful. Comments on some problems of botanical terminology.
Pleased to sign certificate for Francis Darwin.
Has never underrated importance of [plant] physiological studies, especially when carried out as FD has been doing.
Returns CD’s lists [sent with 2184]. Confusion in genera of Silene is great in continental botanic gardens. One would have to know whether C. F. v. Gärtner had the right names for species in his experiments.
Remarks about Labiatae, Linum, Oxalis and Viola occasioned by hearing CD’s paper ["Two forms of Primula", read 21 Nov 1861, Collected papers 2: 45–63].
Lists pairs of Oxalis species with differing proportions of stamens and styles.
Thanks CD for his book [Orchids]. CD has opened a new field for observation and a new unexpected track to explore phenomena that had before appeared "irreconcilable with ordinary opinion and method shown in the organic world".
Sends CD the reference for GB’s summary of Targioni-Tozzetti’s work [see 3760].
Hopes for a communication to the Linnean Society from CD "this winter".
CD’s paper [on Linum] is announced for reading at the Linnean Society on 5 February.
Asks CD whether he knows of "anything worth looking at" that has appeared abroad on his theory of the origin of species.
Has not yet read the pamphlets [selection of reviews of Origin, sent by CD at GB’s request]. Though GB does not go so far as Hooker in accepting all of CD’s hypotheses and does not feel up to a thorough discussion of his views, he hopes in his Linnean Anniversary Address [Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (1863): xi–xxix] to speak on the present state of the [species] question.
Returns CD’s pamphlets.
Wishes CD would work out further what keeps certain species immutable for great periods.
Feels himself a convert, but cannot go all lengths with CD.
Feels some reviewers distort CD’s argument.
Sends specimens of two species of Aegiphila [see Forms of flowers, p. 123]. Discusses similar forms in other plants.
Replies to CD’s two memoranda, GB explains: 1. That he never said thistles do not produce seeds, but rather that the infinite majority of new plants are propagated from buds
2. That book-borrowing rules of the Linnean Library are not so stringent as the Librarian makes out.
Is unable to fix a day for luncheon until later.
