Suggests sending plant specimens. Asks about visit of Emma and the boys.

WED has been collecting Lythrum plants. Numerical proportions of the three forms.

Bee with adhering orchid pollinia lent to Charles Daubeny. Pollen-masses shaken off but if CD still interested he is welcome to specimen.

Discusses Lythrum, "a really wonderful case"; asks WED to make observations and collect specimens; sends a diagram which shows what crosses he believes are fertile.

Would like George to watch bees visiting the flowers; wants some pods from different forms to compare shapes and count seeds.

Sends specimens of the three forms of Lythrum. Remarks on the numerical proportions of different forms.

Proportions of different forms of Lythrum.

Gives J. T. Rothrock’s observations on the structure and fertility of the two forms of Houstonia. Mentions his own observations on Rhexia virginica and Gymnadenia tridentata.

Finds many beautiful Epipactis specimens.

Their enumeration [of forms of Lythrum?] is invaluable. He will write later to explain what he is trying to prove about Lythrum through laborious crosses.

Asks for flowers of both forms of Hottonia to measure pollen and compare stigmas.

Has read CD’s long letter on Lythrum and agrees with it. Is examining the pollen of the different types.

Describes insects caught while visiting Lythrum.

Looked for Hottonia but with little success.

Muscular fibres of whale no larger than those of bee – evidence of a community of origin.

Problem of the abortive wings of ostrich in relation to conditions of their survival.

Breeding cells of Ligurian bee are larger than those of common bee. Thanks CD for comb.

Notes and observations on orchids.

Observations on Welwitschia.

Would be pleased to have third edition of Origin.

Is unwell and dreads the winter.

Leonard Darwin’s illness.

William Darwin and the bank.

Beginning to make out a marvellous case of trimorphism.

Lythrum. Wants to examine fresh flowers of Lythraceae. Lythrum salicaria has interested him very much.

Microscopes.

Asks whether JDH can think of plants that have different coloured anthers or pollen in same flowers (as in Melastoma) or on same and in different plants as in Lythrum. Would be a safe guide to dimorphism.

Observation of action of pollen in Linum grandiflorum.

JL’s Swiss tour with Tyndall and Huxley.

Lake-habitations.