Hopes readers will send information on the permanence of cross-bred plants and animals. No one doubts that cross-bred productions tend to revert in various degrees to either parent for many generations. But are there not cases of crossed breeds of sheep and pigs that breed true? CD believes occasional cross-breeding of varieties is advantageous in nature as well as under domestication. [See reply to this letter by J. O. Westwood, Gard. Chron. (1860): 122.]

CD acknowledges that Patrick Matthew, in his appendix to Naval timber and arboriculture (1831), anticipated by many years CD’s explanation of the origin of species by natural selection. CD was ignorant of the work. If another edition of Origin is called for, CD will insert a notice to the foregoing effect.

Wants to hear from readers about the way in which the bee-orchid (Ophrys apifera) is fertilised. He has always found it to be self-fertilised but greatly doubts that the flowers of any plant are fertilised for generations by their own pollen. The bee-orchid has sticky glands, which would make it adapted for fertilisation by insects; this makes him want to hear what happens to its pollen-masses in places he has not observed.

Asks for any published reference providing account of the movement of the viscid hairs or leaves of Drosera lunata, an Indian Drosera which Lindley cites in Vegetable kingdom, p. 433.

Describes how adhesive bladders enable the achenia of Pumilio argyrolepsis to attach themselves to the soil. James Drummond sent seeds to CD with a memorandum on the achenia.

Discusses the possible explanation of why fly-orchid plants in a correspondent’s garden had no pollen-masses removed while Orchis maculata had all of its pollen-masses removed. CD points out that different orchids are fertilised by different insects. The insects needed to fertilise the fly-orchid may not have inhabited the site of the correspondent’s garden.

Reports his experiment with fertilising the large periwinkle (Vinca major), which he had never known to produce seed. He found that the pollen could not reach the stigma without the aid of insects, which in England never visit the flower. CD produced seeds by inserting a fine bristle, like the proboscis of a moth. Asks readers to repeat this experiment with other species that do not habitually seed and to report the result.

Requests orchid specimens from Arethuseae division for his investigation of the many contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insect agency.

Asks whether Charles Morren has published on the fertilisation of orchids by insect agency.

Two correspondents report fertilising Vinca rosea by imitating the action of an insect inserting its proboscis. Another says his Vinca rosea seed profusely without artificial fertilisation. CD asks what might explain the difference in results. In the latter instance, are the plants kept in a greenhouse with windows left open, so that moths could get access at night?

Asks whether T. A. Knight’s tall blue and white marrow peas were raised by Knight himself.

Also asks whether anyone who has saved seed peas grown close to other kinds observed that the succeeding crop came up "untrue" or crossed? CD would expect that such crossing would occasionally happen.

Asks M. J. Berkeley to identify the microscopical spherical bodies CD found in drops of yellowish rain-water that fell on his garden in a brief shower.

Reports on the appearance, in a gravel walk near his house, of an orchid, Epipactis latifolia, never seen in his neighbourhood before. Asks whether a seed could have been blown from a distance and germinated during a season when the walk was neglected.

[Roland] Trimen of the Cape of Good Hope sends evidence that a moth [Achaea chamaeleon] is capable of perforating the skin of a peach with its delicate proboscis. Have any readers observed moths or butterflies sucking any fruit of which the skin was not previously broken?

Asks anyone who possesses a treatise on gardening, or an almanac, one or two centuries old, to look up what date is given as the proper period for sowing scarlet runners or dwarf French beans. CD wants to ascertain whether these plants can now be sown earlier than was formerly the case.

Asks botanical readers to inform him "whether in those monoecious or dioecious plants, in which the flowers are widely different, it has ever been observed that half the flower, or only a segment of it, has been of one sex and the other half or segment of the opposite sex, in the same manner as so frequently occurs with insects?"

Asks readers to examine the flowers of Oxalis bowei to observe where the summits of the branching stigmas stand with respect to the two sets of anthers. In CD’s plants the stigmas stand beneath the lower anthers, but he believes two other forms exist: long-styled and mid-styled. Would be grateful for flowers of these types so he can fertilise them and obtain seed.

Describes the difficulties of crossing papilionaceous flowers. Believes the lack of success is a consequence of the need for early castration and successive applications of pollen on the stigma. Gives details of a method he has used to cross such flowers successfully.

Requests information on published observations on the proportional number of males and females born to various domestic animals.

Is interested to know whether there are differences in the period of development of horns in sheep in those breeds in which horns are common to both sexes, and in those in which horns are confined to males.

In response to a query from a Mr D. T. Fish, CD reaffirms his view of the efficiency of worms in bringing up in their intestines fine soil from below the surface. Reports on observations, during the past 25 years, which confirm his views.