Offers the German rights of Variation if J. V. Carus is prepared to translate it.

Thanks for information about the dotterel.

CD had ascertained by dissection that the female of the carrion-hawk of the Falkland Islands is very much brighter coloured than the male. Has inquired about its nidification. Mentions other instances of female birds that are brighter and more beautiful than the males and suggests causes for this anomaly.

Much obliged for lecture [On some defects in public school education (1867)]. Would leave classics to those with zeal and taste for appreciation. Learned nothing at school except by reading and experimenting in chemistry.

The date-palm seed case is important for Pangenesis.

Reports experiments on pollination of Ipomoea.

"Insular floras": A. Murray’s paper in Gardeners’ Chronicle is poor.

John Scott’s work on acclimatisation of plants.

The anomaly of the Azores flora on the migration theory.

Suggests change in sentence of JDH’s "Insular floras" to make meaning clear.

Naudin’s letter about hybrids.

Pangenesis.

Returns Charles Naudin’s letter with its case in support of CD’s view of impregnation.

Twits JDH for trying to wriggle out of error made in his lecture and admires his "candour in letting the rat out of the bag". [See 5449 and 5451.]

Close inbreeding and factors acting against it.

Thanks WED for a present.

Discusses the Duke of Argyll’s Reign of law [1867].

Is busy revising proofs [of Variation].

Discusses the orchid specimens received from MTM. Remarks on the self-sterility of Cypripedium and other orchids.

Anxious for news about baby.

Will remember to save all foreign plants for JDH when he has finished experimenting with them.

Thanks WO for information on inheritance of deficient phalanges [Variation 2:73] and for interesting case of the occurrence of anomalous fingers and teeth in twins[Variation 2: 253].

Has learned that Fritz Müller is HM’s brother.