Ɛpsilon

To Asa Gray   18 February [1877]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

Feb. 18th

My dear Gray

Your abstract of my book is inimitably good.2 You have given everything,—you have quite eviscerated it. By Jove I ought to owe you a grudge! In earnest it could not in my opinion be improved.

Very many thanks, also, for the specimens, & for not hating me for bothering you so much.3 In about a week’s time I shall examine them with greatest interest. I shall send my son Frank to Kew on Wednesday to look at specimens of Leucosmia & some of the Polemoniaceæ &c.4 I long to get this old work off my hands & so shall publish too soon to profit by sowing seeds of Gilia.—5

I did despatch Title &c of Orchis book, but have now written to Murray to send you by post complete copy.6

Some of your criticisms & suggestions in your two reviews are very good.7

Ever yours gratefully | Ch. Darwin

In Cross-Fertilisation

Pray correct a dreadful erratum

p. 275, 6 lines from top

for self-fertilised plants

read crossed plants.8

1
The year is established by the reference to Cross and self fertilisation.
2
Gray’s review of Cross and self fertilisation appeared in the American Journal of Science 3d ser. 13 (1877): 125–41.
3
See letter from Asa Gray, 6 February 1877 and n. 1. Forms of flowers was published in July 1877 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
4
For CD’s interest in Leucosmia burnettiana (a synonym of Phaleria disperma), see the letter to Asa Gray, 3 January 1877 and nn. 1 and 2. Polemoniaceae is the phlox family. CD refers to Francis Darwin and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
6
Gray was planning to write a notice of Orchids 2d ed. (see letter from Asa Gray, 6 February 1877 and n. 3). The letter to John Murray has not been found.
7
Gray had written a two-part review of the first edition of Orchids (A. Gray 1862; see Correspondence vol. 24, letter to Asa Gray, 9 August 1876 and n. 4).
8
For CD’s corrections to Cross and self fertilisation 2d ed., see the letter to J. V. Carus, 4 March 1877 and n. 2.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 inimitably] over ‘inimably’
3.1 to Murray] interl
8.1 275] ‘5’ over illeg

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10851,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10851