Has sent copy of his paper to Asa Gray.

Melastomad flowers are strikingly neglected by pollinators.

Murray has ordered many illustrations for HWB’s Naturalist on the river Amazons.

Wallace noticed that melastomads in Malay archipelago were visited by small Hymenoptera.

Darwinism discussed at the last meeting of the Zoological Society. The Darwinians had the best of it.

HWB has committed the "folly" of marriage [to Sarah Ann Mason, 15 Jan 1863].

Printing of vol. 1 [of Naturalist on the river Amazons] is nearly finished.

Asa Gray will try to get HWB’s paper reviewed.

Also mentions that he (CD) wrote a short review of it for Natural History Review [Collected papers 2: 87–92].

Asks whether bees or Lepidoptera visit flowers of Melastomataceae.

Congratulations on marriage, which CD considers the best and only chance for happiness in this world.

Glad HWB is near completion of book.

Begs him to thank Wallace for Melastoma information; CD "cannot endure being beaten by a beggarly flower".