Sends his MS of orchid paper ["A few notes on the fecundation of orchids and their morphology", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 8 (1865): 127–35] for CD to send to an editor.

CD was right about Catasetum sexes.

Ficus experiments fail.

JDH’s opinion of Herbert Spencer.

Rejects CD’s view of inheritance of induced modifications.

Huxley grows fat.

CD’s illness.

The difficulty of getting John Scott to publish his work. Has sent Scott’s paper [on Primulaceae] to Linnean Society. CD is sure it is valuable.

CD continues very ill.

His only work is a little on tendrils and climbers. Asks whether all tendrils are modified leaves or whether some are modified stems.

Last number [Jan 1864?] of Natural History Review is best that has appeared.

Botanists are obliged to regard tendrils as either leaf- or stem-formations. Vitis, Passiflora, and Clematis are discussed. [See 4398.]

Reminds CWC that he offered to give information with respect to his observations on hollyhocks. Wishes he could persuade CWC to undertake experiments on the fertility of some crosses between the most distinct varieties.

Tells of a declaration and a subscription list to defend the rights of Bishop Colenso.

Would like his fowl skulls back.

Breeding experiments seem to show mongrels are just as fertile as pure breeds.

Returns WBT’s box of skulls. One or two skulls may be elsewhere, but CD does not have the strength to search for them.

John Scott’s paper [see 4332] read at Linnean Society; praised by George Bentham.

Himalayan pine in Macedonia.

JDH is in a quarrel with H. C. Watson.

JS’s Primula paper was read at the Linnean Society and praised warmly by G. Bentham. Hooker was not present.

Compares Clematis and Tropaeolum with respect to touch response. Tropaeolum shows a momentary response and quick recovery. Clematis takes hours to respond, and shows no recovery.

CD can show the gradations between leaves and tendrils, but how a branch passes into a tendril utterly puzzles him.

Bentham proposes John Scott be made an associate of the Linnean Society.

Bentham so impressed with JS’s paper that he is invited to become Associate Member of Linnean Society.

Regrets sending his MS missing two pages.

Has proofs of his paper on the monoecious spikes of maize [Edinburgh New Philos. J. 2d ser. 19 (1864): 213–20].

J. H. Balfour objected to notion of maize descent from a hermaphrodite.

Reading of JS’s paper on Selaginella hybrid [Edinburgh New Philos. J. 2d ser. 19 (1864): 192–9] deferred until March. Believes it is first example of experimentally produced hybridity in higher cryptogams.

A regular column is to appear in the Proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society on successful and failed interspecific crosses.

Is sending his monograph ["A revision and arrangement of the North American species of Astragalus and Oxytropis", Proc. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. 6 (1863): 188–236].

Death of Francis Boott.

U. S. is now determined to do away with slavery.

CD’s climbing plant experiments make it impossible to deny nerve force in plants.

Has discussed Frankland’s new glacial theory with Lyell.

Bishop Colenso’s trial.

Possibility of Scott’s coming to Kew as a curator.

Sends Hermann Crüger’s paper ["A few notes on the fecundation of orchids and their morphology", J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 8 (1865): 127–35] for publication.

"Boasts" of confirmation that sexes are separate in Catasetum.

Sends, for identification, specimens of bees and wasps which fertilise orchids. [Notes in FS’s hand on the same sheet identify the specimens.]