Too busy to examine specimen. Will ask W. H. Flower to do it. Long catalogue of what keeps him busy and concerned.

C. Carter Blake, "a jackal of Owen’s", is the reviewer in Edinburgh Review and Anthropological Review [see 4223]. Has sent back his diploma of Hon. Fellowship to Anthropological Society.

Has extracted CD’s Linum paper [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 36 (1863): 279–84].

Elaborate co-adaptations of orchids and insects demonstrate against "chance blows", whether few, as Oswald Heer would have, or many and slight as CD proposes.

Sends seeds of female Lychnis diurna; has found none in hermaphrodites.

On variation, hybridity, and inheritance of parasites in this plant.

Discusses leaf form and phyllotaxy; clarifies a part of his paper ["On a protomorphic phyllotype", Atlantis (1863)].

On CD’s request to observe bee Ophrys: PHG’s son collected 16 plants – of the 32 flowers, two had lost both pollinia, two had lost one each. He himself found two plants with pollinia adhering to the stigma.

He and L. C. Treviranus have repeated many of CD’s orchid observations with the same results. Sends his paper ["Fruchtbildung der Orchideen", Bot. Ztg. 21 (1863): 329–33, 337–45].

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.

Hildebrand’s paper is unsuitable for the Natural History Review.

Gives a reference to a paper.

Acknowledges the receipt of some signed transfers.

In a forthcoming paper JvH will show geological age of the world to be "incalculable" and will confirm CD’s theory that "the old system of chronological sequence of formations all over the world must be abandoned in a great degree".

Predicts the links between species, genera, and classes will be found.

CD elected an Honorary Member [of Philosophical Institute of Canterbury].

Gives some observations on Drosera.

Comments on Richard Owen’s "transmutation theory" in his aye-aye paper [Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 5 (1866): 33–101].

Encourages CD to continue observations on tendrils.

Could not find Anchusa but will go out and find some.

Discusses heterostyly in Hottonia.

Criticises L. C. Treviranus’ statements on Primula longiflora’s having short-styled form.

Describes his results with crossing different coloured primroses. Will let CD, when he reads his paper, decide whether his finding white and red varieties perfectly sterile when crossed, yet fertile inter se, ought to be published.

Difficulty in getting his orchid paper published in Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal.

His orchid paper limited because he does not give illustrations from distinct genera.

Discusses the self- and cross-fertility of coloured primrose varieties. Thanks CD for tables of unpublished Primula work.

Describes the similarity in plumage changes between Japanese and Chinese birds on the one hand and British and continental birds on the other. Suggests the changes are due to the warm gulf streams around both islands.

Has found seeds produced by an hermaphroditic Lychnis and will send them. On structural obstacles to fertilisation of hermaphrodite Lychnis.

Doubts CD’s view in Orchids [pp. 236–46] that Catasetum tridentatum is exclusively male and has as its female form the genus Monachanthus. EB has grown many of this type in Trinidad; has never seen that female form.

Sends "tendrilliferous" plants.

Plans visit to Down.

Naudin’s paper on tendrils [Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) 4th ser. 9 (1863): 180–203].

T. V. Wollaston snubs Bates’s work.