Attributes the Castilian accent of speech of deaf and dumb men to imitation of their teachers’ lip movements.

Thanks CD for his advice. No doubt one may be misled by a few experiments in matters on which many forces come into play. Describes his plans to observe the flowering of 23 plants of Lychnis gilhago raised from a single capsule.

Gives an example of atavism in American cattle.

Was CD already convinced of evolution when he published Journal of researches?

Photograph album will be late coming.

Evolutionary magazine to appear in March under title of Kosmos.

Thanks OZ for a "magnificent Album".

On Beagle voyage CD believed in permanence of species. Had occasional vague doubts. In autumn of 1836 saw how many facts indicated common descent of species. In 1837 opened notebook to record facts.

Thanks for Cross and self-fertilisation.

His work on poppy varieties confirms increased vigour with crossing.

JS is carrying out opium poppy experiments CD suggested. He is busy with opium duties. Observing many fields of poppies, day and night, JS finds them remarkably free of insects. Believes they are wind-pollinated and that varieties have prepotent pollen since he has shown they do not cross naturally.

Plans to send a paper on Cyclosis to Linnean Society.

Wants to know how to obtain The thoughts of Marcus Aurelius, mentioned in Descent [1: 106].

Comments on CD’s Cross and self-fertilisation: its usefulness to florists, and his solution of a long standing puzzle in showing the increase of monstrosities in self-fertilised plants.

Is unconvinced that correction in Cross and self-fertilisation requested by CD [see 10852] should be made. Asks CD to reconsider.

Encloses his translation of a draft letter from his friend Franz von Rekowsky [see 10855], who is German Consular Secretary at Messina.

Reports a bluebell monster.

Response to Cross and self-fertilisation, reviewed in Spectator.