Praise for JDH’s Flora Indica [J. D. Hooker and T. Thomson (1855)] from CD and C. J. F. Bunbury.
CD and J. S. Henslow dining in London. JDH invited.
Has received the duck and bantam.
Anxious to get as many facts as possible on crossbreeding of dogs.
Reports on seeds that have germinated after 100 days immersion [in salt water].
Mentions experiments on plants involving coloured glass. Encloses correspondence from glass maker and asks advice.
Morning with H. C. Watson; discussed problems of inferences from buried seeds.
Has left a book from Henslow for JDH at Athenaeum.
When Asa Gray wrote, did he send marked sheets [of his Manual of botany]?
Has just made out "new & wonderful" specific character between two of his pigeon breeds.
When JDH goes to Germany, will he ask seed men if their marvellous true breeding lines are the result of selection.
Recommends publication of W. B. Carpenter’s paper on Orbitolites [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 146 (1856): 181–236]. Discusses style and the cost of the plates.
Reports on his collection of skeletons of young and adults of various breeds of fowls and specimens still needed.
Asks JSH to identify an umbellifer.
Describes his efforts to compare number of seeds of wild and cultivated plants.
Asks that more wild celery be collected and seeds counted. Seeks to verify whether "most typical form produces most seed" and whether cultivation lessens fertility.
"Close" species in large and small genera.
Alphonse de Candolle on geographical distribution [Géographie botanique raisonnée (1855)].
Species variability.
On geographical distribution of plants. Plant systematics and natural classification.
Thanks for WBT’s offer to supply carcasses of good poultry breeds. Encloses list [missing] of birds in which he is interested.
Approves drawing. No one who cannot draw should attempt to be a naturalist. Suggests corrections to [Lepas?] drawing. Comments on position of ganglia, cement glands, and stomach.
Thanks HAW for columbine and asparagus seeds and for counting pods for him. CD is astonished at the number of pods. Needs more seeds for one of his experiments.
Has he met Huxley yet? He is a very clever man.
Would welcome any distinct breed of poultry and would be glad to have any good pigeons.
Responds to THH’s questioning of his observations on cirripede anatomy with extensive discussion of what he observed. Admits his elementary knowledge of microscopical structures but seriously doubts he has erred. Cement glands, ovarian tubes, etc.
Five questions on variability in peas.
W & JF recommended to CD by Mr Cattell.
CD planted an experimental pea garden this summer.
Sick of seed-salting.
Reading Candolle with great interest.
Is impressed by all JSH is doing with his lectures and exhibitions at Hitcham.
Has read admirable Hooker MS on variation, geographical range, etc. [Introductory essay to the Flora Indica (1855)].
CD now has a sufficiently large collection of [skeletons of] chickens to be able to tell how far the young differ proportionally from the old.
He goes on accumulating facts; what he will do with them "remains to be seen".
Attended Glasgow BAAS meeting. "Duke of Argyll spoke excellently" [Rep. BAAS (1855): lxiii–lxxxvi].
Lists his pigeon collection.