Encloses a passage from his book, The botany of the voyage of H.M.S. "Herald" [1852–7].

Discusses possibility of publishing work on flora of Hawaiian Islands.

Discusses insects of south temperate S. America and New Zealand, especially with respect to the distribution and origin of Chilean Carabi, and has sent for a German monograph to learn about the eleven species he has found.

He refers to Chilean poverty in butterflies; scanty New Zealand insect fauna.

An analysis of south temperate insects is desirable, but the small English collections make him afraid to undertake it.

Sends CD a quotation from Plato which anticipates the Origin.

Has been enjoying CD’s paper on dimorphism in the Journal of the Linnean Society ["Two forms of Primula", Collected papers 2: 45–63]. He has found similar structures [see Forms of flowers, pp. 116, 122].

Comments on presentation copy of Orchids. Has CD studied the orchid Sobralia?

Cannot get material for hollyhock experiment.

Sends his notes on Primula sinensis.

He is experimenting on Ranunculus.

L. C. Treviranus inclined to translate Orchids, but "unfortunately" HGB has already done it. Book’s discussion of plant sexuality important for zoology as well as botany.

Origin is in press. Attaches a list of "quelques petites difficultées" encountered in his translation.

Observations on Platanthera.

Possibility of trimorphism in Mertensia.

Wife’s health improved by trip.

Heer’s collections convince JDH that Miocene vegetation was Himalayan, not American, as Heer supposed.

Zurich promises to be a good natural history school.

Review of Natural History Review in Parthenon [1 (1862): 373–5].

Suggests CD try to get Lythrum hyssopifolia from France.

Dimorphic flowers.

Differences between newly opened and older orchids.

Flowers of Spiranthes and Goodyera.

EB has had his pension disallowed; is coming to England.

Encloses maize seeds.

Has heard of a butterfly with pollinia of Platanthera stuck to it.

Comments on AG’s notes ["Dimorphism in the genitalia of flowers", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 149–50].

"Precocious fertilisation".

Studying self-sterility, particularly in Oncidium, where abortion occurs consistently but stigma functions normally. His hybrid orchid crosses show sterility occurs capriciously. Thus it is not a "special endowment".

Disputes Asa Gray’s and Hermann Crüger’s view of rostellar germination.

Doubts absolute sterility of Catasetum.

Disappointed by results with homomorphic cowslips.

Observations on Catasetum.

Figs require insects in order to set seed.

Observes Plantago’s out-crossing mechanism.

Observations of style lengths of primroses and cowslips.

Supports, in his orchid paper, CD’s view that sterility occurs at random [Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 7 (1863): 543–50].

Cannot get his Drosera paper published [abstract in Edinburgh New Philos. J. 2d ser. 17 (1863): 317–18].

Thanks CD for two letters and his portrait.

CD’s book [Orchids] opened up terra incognita for him.

His work on S. African butterflies continues.

Reports on a moth that punctures peach skins.

Interesting that thoughtful naturalists are forced to admit mutability of species.

Some notes on Oxalis.

Sees difficulties in adhering to the concept of design in nature.

Is surprised at Hooker’s and Daniel Oliver’s ignorance regarding spontaneous movements of tendrils.

CD should continue his work on climbing plants, "it will be fruitful in your hands".

JDH explains why he cannot take Scott on at Kew.

John Tyndall cannot answer CD’s questions on glaciers. Edward Frankland’s ignorance. In JDH’s opinion, heaviness of winter snowfall is the greatest element in size of glaciers and this is a function of low mean temperature. Discusses descent of glaciers.

Encloses drawings of Menyanthes and Pulmonaria anthers.

Sends Passiflora paper [see 4485].

Sends seeds of peloric Antirrhinum crossed by normal form and sends results of his experiments [table of crosses].

Discusses CD’s and Mrs Gray’s health.

Comments on some climbing plants.

Praises Wallace’s article applying natural selection to man ["The origin of human races", J. Anthropol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1864): clviii–clxxxvi].

Discusses the reported sterility of the flowers of Voandzeia and Amphicarpaea.

Feels the ending of slavery is worth the cost of the Civil War.