Podostemaceae flowering under water.
Podostemaceae flowering under water.
JDH approves MS section on geographical distribution.
Never felt so shaky about species before.
His objections to some mechanisms of distribution that CD proposes.
Continued debate on formation of species as a result of retreat from glaciers.
JDH suggests internal powers of species modification, which he knows CD abhors.
Has done New Zealand flora calculations. Results support CD’s theory of necessity of crossing. Trees tend to have separate sexes.
Has been looking at separation of sexes in poplars.
Interested in reversion.
Does not understand all CD said on inheritance.
JDH now remembers that Origin was "published" some time before it was "distributed" and therefore appeared prior to his own essay [see also 2478].
Impossible to say whether some Dipterocarpaceae survived a cold period or have developed since.
JDH cites W. H. Harvey’s observations on Fucus and David Don’s on Juncus as examples of variations that are independent of climate. There are many such cases. Gives his working scheme for categorising variation.
Embryology of plants of low systematic order. Comparative development begins only with first post-cotyledonary leaves.
Curt letter to JDH from George Henslow.
News of Mrs Henslow’s death.
Studying Impatiens, which bears on CD’s problems. Though genus is endemic to India, with over 100 species, CD will be glad to know they do not run into one another.
Finds CD’s results [of his survey of well-marked varieties from A. P. and Alphonse de Candolle’s Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis (1824–73)] "very curious and suggestive". Thinks the Labiatae will present an obstacle to him as it is a very large and distinct order with well-defined species and genera. Would like to see him tackle more volumes of Candolle’s Prodromus, as his case can only be established by evidence from mundane plants. CD should beware of generalising from local species variability. A comparison of C. C. Babington’s and G. Bentham’s [British] Floras [Babington Manual of British botany (1843, 4th ed., 1856); Bentham Handbook of British flora (1858)] would be invaluable. Suggests CD write to Ferdinand Müller and Charles Moore in Australia. Moisture favouring extension of species is important for CD’s view.
Sending more Candolle volumes for survey of species with well-marked varieties.
Has begun his introduction [to Flora Tasmaniae]; will not make generalisations.
J. D. Dana’s pamphlet too metaphysical for JDH.
Has gone over to CD’s side on the fertilisation of clover in New Zealand by bees.
Botanical practice can confuse CD’s compilations. Many small genera would have been species had the whole natural order [family] been known.
JDH’s low opinion of Buckle;
high opinion of Mrs Farrer.
Summary of JDH’s objections to CD’s survey of floras and conclusion that large genera vary more than small.
Continued objections to methods and conclusions of CD’s survey.
Reports that N. J. Andersson finds every European willow bar one is also American.
Has heard from David Livingstone and reports on his progress.
Sends proofs [of "On the tendency of species to form varieties … ", read 1 July 1858, Collected papers 2: 3–19]. CD could publish his abstract [later the Origin] as a separate supplemental number of [Journal of the Linnean Society].
JDH has studied in detail CD’s manuscript on variable species in large and small genera and concurs with its consequences. Discusses methodological idiosyncrasies of systematists, e.g., Bentham, Robert Brown, and C. C. Babington, which complicate CD’s tabulations.
The CD–Wallace paper has gone to press.
JDH’s tabulation of variable species from Bentham was done in haste.
Busy with introductory essay to [The botany of the Antarctic voyage, pt III] Flora Tasmaniae [printed separately as On the flora of Australia (1859)].
Now explains greater abundance of European species in Tasmania than in Fuegia by CD’s "refrigeration" hypothesis.
At work on the introductory essay to Flora Tasmaniae.
Discusses the effects of climate and geography on "vegetable strife".
Would appreciate loan of CD’s chapter on transmigration across tropics, which may help with the difficulties of Australian distribution.
Still regards plant types as older than animal types.
The Cape of Good Hope and Australian temperate floras cannot be connected by the highlands of Abyssinia.