Has read the Origin several times. His position is like Asa Gray’s: he wishes to believe in descent, but proofs of natural selection are lacking.

Looks forward to CD’s promised large book.

Thanks for Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Did CD sow the seeds of his crosses? One would like to know whether the two forms reappear at random.

Praises Orchids.

He has finished his work on Quercus.

H. Lecoq has worked on hybridism,

and P. Duchartre on orchid polymorphism.

In London for the Botanical Congress; regrets missing CD.

Lyell and CD have mistaken H. Lecoq’s position on glaciers. He has not denied the possibility of a glacial period, only that decreased temperature is needed for their extension.

Recommends F. J. Ruprecht on vegetable detritus in the black earth chernozem of Russia.

Thanks for Variation.

Offers notes and reflections on Variation.

Not convinced by Pangenesis, particularly its dependence on the Cytisus [graft hybrid] examples [ch. 27 and ch. 11].

What a book could be written on the application of natural history to man! Gives examples of inheritance in man.

Corrects himself on Robinia pseud-acacia: its spines are stipules, which explains hereditary fixity.

AdeC’s observations on movement of scalp muscles.

Reports on the differences of growth and development of plants of three species grown at Geneva from seed collected at different localities. Forwards seed for CD to plant and observe differences in development.

Carl Linsseer has published a memoir on the times of flowering, foliation, etc. of diverse species in different parts of Europe [Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg 7th ser. 11 no. 7 (1868)] and concludes that the northern forms are more forward and that this is hereditary. AdeC’s experiments carried out on annuals, show only the effects of heredity; probably the direct action of physical conditions affects development, at least in perennial species.