To J. P. M. Weale   22 February [1867]

My dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your letter & the paper on the Bonatea which I have read with much interest.¹ Several of the points which you describe are new to me, but I will not here discuss them. I have forwarded your paper to the Linnean Soc., but as the Society has published so much on the fertilization of orchids & as it is rather in arrear I do not feel sure that it will publish your paper.²

I have in fact no means of judging on this head; but should your paper not be published you must not infer from this that the Society does not think it of value. If not published you could if you thought fit reclaim it. The difficulty I foresee will be the expense of engravings; but I hope I may be altogether mistaken in my mistrust.³

Your observations on Asclepias will I have no doubt be new & curious; I am nearly sure that Rob^t Brown many years ago told me that he did not understand how the pollen masses were retained by the stigmas which do not emit viscid matter.⁴ I have not heard anything about D^r Brown & his conduct as botanist in your colony.⁵ I am much obliged for your very kind & flattering expressions with respect to what I have been able to do in natural History.⁶ It is a most serious drawback to me that I am very seldom able to go to London or to see any of my fellow-workers in Natural History owing to my constant state of ill-health; I thus lose much pleasure & profit.

With my best wishes for your continued success in Natural History I remain | my dear Sir | yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin