George Henslow’s curtness to JDH: "an attack of religion".
Embryonic leaves. Adaptive functions and taxonomic significance of cotyledons.
Asa Gray. Separation of sexes in U. S. trees.
Does JDH’s Wahlenbergia confirm CD’s law? Variations of one species assume the character of a distinct but allied species or genus.
Seed-salting: old ones float and germinate.
Owen’s "grand paper" [? J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.) 2 (1858): 1–37].
Asks to borrow several Floras. Must redo calculations as John Lubbock has shown him an important error.
Important issue at stake with new flora calculations: evidence that species are only strongly marked varieties. Planning large-scale survey.
Tabulation of varieties goes on; very important as it shows the branching of forms. Mentions his principle of divergence.
No summary available.
Some negative results in variety tabulation survey.
Galls on wild carrot.
Representative species may complicate tabulation of varieties.
Questions for Mr Anderson about horse colouring in Norway.
Has been writing an "audacious little discussion" to show that "organic beings are not perfect, only perfect enough to struggle with their competitors".
C. F. Ledebour [Flora rossica (1842–53)] particularly useful for variety tabulation. Results generally favourable.
Additions to Down House.
Last two chapters of MS took six months to write.
Returns some of the systematics books borrowed from JDH. Will now take on A. P. and Alphonse de Candolle [Prodromus].
Arrangements for a visit.
Return of books.
JDH coming to Down.
Rule that species vary most in larger genera seems universal.
Response to Gardeners’ Chronicle note on "Bees and kidney beans" [Collected papers 1: 275–7].
Mrs J. S. Henslow’s illness.
Inquiries on effect of dry heat on temperate plants for glacial chapter.
Survey of species with well-marked varieties: JDH’s Labiatae case a "great blow", but result is very generally consistent.
Species with marked varieties.
Dana’s pamphlet also too metaphysical for CD.
Natural selection chapter on hybridism completed.
Doubts JDH will resist theory in his introduction to Flora Tasmaniae.
On papilionaceous flowers and CD’s theory that there are no eternal hermaphrodites. Connects this theory to absence of small-flowered legumes in New Zealand and the absence of small bees as pollinators.
CD has never doubted probability of Bering Strait land connection.
Family illness.
Returns books by Candolle and Robert Brown.
Six volumes of Candolle’s Prodromus confirm rule that small genera vary less than large. Labiatae an exception to rule.
