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.