Has been hunting for an otter-hound for CD.

Hopes CD will visit his museum at the Horticultural [Society].

ARW responds to CD’s list of queries about expression. Suggests acquiring informants through publishing the queries in newspapers. His doubts about their importance.

Has submitted caterpillar question to Entomological Society.

Sexual ornamentation of insects: coloration of Epicalia genus [of tropical S. American butterflies];

horned genera of lamellicorn beetles [see Descent 1: 370, 388].

Wallace brought CD’s question about gay-coloured caterpillars before the Entomological Society. Members now seeking explanations.

Requests CD’s subscription to his On systematic botany and zoology [1870]. "Progressive development" is a leading principle of his work.

Asks to be kept informed on gaudy caterpillars.

Problems of his work on man; scope and role of sexual selection.

Indulgence of interest in expression is simply a "hobby-horse". Will see whether he can get queries inserted in an Indian newspaper.

Has been persuaded to accept BAAS Presidency.

On Charles Naudin’s discovery of seeds of Chamaerops fertilised by the date-palm.

Thanks AG for his trouble about expression queries; wishes he had thought earlier of having them printed.

Is "plodding on" correcting Variation

and getting "a little amusement" from plant experiments. Oxalis is trimorphic like Lythrum.

Is continuing his experiments on seedling vigour.

Has heard hybrid potatoes can be produced by joining halves of different tubers.

Thanks CD for permission to translate Variation into Russian. The translation will be guided by his brother Alexander, a follower of Darwin,

whose articles on the affinity of ascidians and vertebrates he forwards.

Sends several plants with abortive anthers or bad pollen.

Thanks for note and returns signed paper. Asks that the payment be made to his bank account.

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.

The compositors have invented a title [for Variation] which CD thinks is better than the advertised one. CD can form no opinion on number of copies. Asks that clean sheets be sent to German and Russian publishers for translation.

Intends to begin a journal reviewing the botanical literature.

Sends his book [Die Geschlechter-Vertheilung bei den Pflanzen (1867)].

Agrees that new title of Variation is an improvement. Now thinks 1500 copies a safe number to print.

Sends Naudin’s letter.

Pangenesis.

Benjamin Clarke is mad.

Interested in CD’s Ipomoea experiment.

Scott’s experiments are all in CD’s favour.

Clarifies a sentence in "Insular floras".

The new title is fixed. Thanks for clean sheets. As to number of copies, now that JM proposes 1500, CD is frightened.

Thanks for two copies of Hildebrand’s monograph on plant sexuality (Hildebrand 1867a).

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

Naudin’s letter about hybrids.

Pangenesis.

On whether to make woodcuts for Variation in Russia or use Murray’s stereotypes. He has similar advance publication agreements with Carl Vogt, E. A. Rossmässler and Theodor Billroth.

The Russian version of Origin is translated from Bronn’s German edition.

CD must decline his correspondent’s kind offer [unspecified], but he is out of health and has passed the part about dogs in a work now at the printer’s [Variation].