Sends a "guess" about Mimosa leaf structure as an answer to one of CD’s questions.
Has found a Passiflora princeps.
Encloses extract from a letter from Fritz Müller about humming-birds visiting Passiflora, "as a caution about Passiflora in contrast with Tacsonia".
[Signed with CD’s name by Emma Darwin.]
Agrees that it is wise to delay [publishing?] on Passiflora.
Puts queries he wants CD to send [to Fritz Müller] on bees visiting flowers in winter.
Encloses part of letter from Fritz Müller on Passiflora, with seeds.
Is endeavouring to have included in next census a question as to whether the parents in each household are cousins.
On death of his wife. Botany a solace.
Not discouraged by F. Müller’s Passiflora.
Observations on insects visiting barberries.
Fertilisation of barberries.
Passiflora.
Is continuing his experiments on the comparative growth of crossed and self-fertilised plants.
Has sent F. Müller "a long screed" about the Passiflora.
Encloses seeds from Fritz Müller, of a species of Passiflora, fertilised by a humble-bee.
Has procured a Passiflora flower at last. Structure suited for humming-birds rather than bees.
Returning CD’s books.
Sympathises with women’s lot in life.
Forgot to send books.
Saw Miss [Henrietta] Darwin; chastised her for being out when book [Descent] has not yet appeared.
Parallel between CD’s account of morality [in Descent], of social instinct preceding selfishness, and Henry Maine’s account of notions of property of a community preceding individual property [in Ancient law (1861)].
Was aware of Maine’s view but never thought of its extension to morals. Cannot avoid thinking that personal property like flint tools must have "strictly belonged to individuals as much as a bone to a dog".
On private property, with regard to tools and arms; comments on Maine’s book and the history of law regarding property.
Observations on orchids. Ophrys apifera; confirms CD’s observation on pollinia. The nesting of ducks in trees is an example of change of instinct and habit.
Confesses to intense hatred of the bee [orchid] for its anomalous perpetual self-fertilisation.
Sorry he will be away when CD comes down.
Congratulations on Henrietta Darwin’s engagement.
Asks CD for seeds of some plants.
THF’s article in Nature ["The fertilisation of a few papilionaceous flowers", 6 (1872): 478–80, 498–501] is extremely good.
Suspects he now has answer to why common peas and sweetpeas hardly ever intercross, a point which half drove CD mad for years.