Thanks for Descent.

Reveals that it is his own family that has the movable scalp.

The Franco-Prussian war has held up the publication of the 17th and last volume of the Prodromus.

Thanks for Expression, which has made him wonder whether his shyness in public until the age of 55 resulted from fear of subjecting his face to ridicule.

Criticises F. Galton’s Hereditary genius [1869] for neglecting environmental influence.

Thanks for Insectivorous plants.

Thanks for Cross and self-fertilisation.

Discusses geographical implications of inbreeding. Can the length of time an insular flora has been isolated be estimated by its weakness due to inbreeding?

Introduces his son Casimir, who is visiting England.

Thanks for Forms of flowers.

In his Monographiae phanerogamarum [vol. 1 (1878)] he discusses transitional forms of dioecism in three genera of Smilax.

Criticises CD’s use of the words "purpose" and "end", but acknowledges that in English they can mean both cause and effect.

Thanks for Francis Darwin’s Dipsacus paper.

Dislikes the word "protoplasm", because improved microscopes will uncover more fundamental substances. Also "plasma" merely hides the ignorance of modern chemists.

Expects waxy, glaucous-leaved plants to be most frequent in dry temperate climates.

Speculates that the function of "bloom" is to prevent evaporation.

Raised CD’s question about the geographical distribution of glaucous plants at recent botanical meeting.

Congratulations on CD’s long-overdue election to the French Academy of Sciences.