My dear Sir

I fear that your patience will have been completely exhausted; but at last the Translation is published.¹ The delay has been caused by the Translator; but he is not to blame for he had to move a large family several hundred miles & entered on his new office at the busiest time of the year, so that it was really impossible for him to do anything.² I have this day sent off 3 copies to you by Book Post.

I do hope that you will be contented with the appearance & with the Translation. I have not read it yet, but Dallas generally translates well & was greatly interested with your work.— I have sent copies “From Author” to C. Spence Bate, Dana in U. States, your Brother H. Müller, Max Schutz of Bonn & Oscar Schmidt at Gratz.—³ I am ashamed to say that I cannot find your instructions about the presentation copies, though they are somewhere safe, so I wrote to your brother & he suggested the two last names.— If you will write I will send copies to anyone else & of course more to yourself. I have sent copies to 7 of such reviews, as generally treat of Scientific works.—⁴

My publisher⁵ can form no idea whether the book will sell, but fears it is too purely scientific for England. There will be 1000 copies printed.

I received some time ago a very interesting letter from you with many facts about Oxalis, & about the non-seeding & spreading of one species.—⁶ I may mention that our common O. acetosella varies much in length of pistils & stamens, so that I at first though it was certainly dimorphic, but proved it by experiment not to be so.—⁷ Borreria has after all seeded well with me when crossed by opposite form, but very sparingly when self-fertilised.⁸ Your case of Faramea astonishes me.— Are you sure there is no mistake— the difference in size of flower & wonderful difference in size & structure of pollen-grains naturally makes one rather sceptical.⁹ I never fail to admire & to be surprised at the number of points to which you attend.

I go on slowly at my next book & though I never am idle, I make but slow progress, for I am often interrupted by being unwell & my subject of sexual selection has grown into a very large one. I have, also, had to correct a new Edit. of my “Origin”, & this has taken me six week, for science progresses at Rail-road speed.¹⁰ I cannot tell you how rejoiced I am that your Book is at last out; for whether it sells largely or not, I am certain it will produce a great effect on all capable judges, though these are few in number.

Believe me | Yours sincerely & cordially | Ch. Darwin

P.S. I have just received your letter of Jan. 12^th.— I am greatly interested by what you say on Escholzia— I wish your plant had succeeded better. It seems pretty clear that the species is much more self-sterile under the climate of Brazil than here, & this seems to me important result.—¹¹ I have no spare seeds at present, but will send for some from nurseryman, which though not so good for our purpose will be worth trying. I can send some of my own in autumn   You could simply cover up separately 2 or 3 single plants, & see if they will seed without aid,—mine did abundantly.—

Very many thanks for seeds of Oxalis;¹² how I wish I had more strength & time to carry on these experiments, but when I write in morning; I have hardly heart to do anything in the afternoon. Your grass is most wonderful.— You ought to send account to Bot. Zeitung.¹³ C^d. you not ascertain whether the bracts are sensitive, & how soon they become apical in the bud?— —

Your Bird is, I have no doubt the Molothrus, mentioned in my Journal of Travels p. 52, as representing a N. American species, but with Cuckoo-like Habits.—¹⁴

I knew that seeds from same spike transmitted to a certain extent their proper qualities; but as far as I know no one has hitherto shown how far this holds good; & the fact is very interesting. The experiment w^d be well worth trying with flowers bearing different numbers of petals.— Your explanation agrees beautifully with the hypothesis of Pangenesis, & delights me—¹⁵ If you try other cases, do draw up a paper on subject of inheritance of separate flowers for Bot. Zeitung or some Journal.— Most men, as far as my experience goes, are too ready to publish; but you seem to enjoy making most interesting observations & discoveries & are sadly too slow in publishing.— Your case of the grass seems so wonderful, that I am sure D^r. Hooker will much like to read it & I will send it off at once.—¹⁶

With sincere admiration | Yours very truly | C. Darwin

P.S. I have sent one copy to Mr Wallace,¹⁷ as I am sure he w^d enjoy the work & cannot afford to buy many Books

P.S. I have just received following statement from M^r Murray

(I am vexed to see that on Title my name is more conspicuous than yours, which I especially objected to & cautioned Printers, after seeing one Proof.—)

I see that the seed that the nurseryman has sent me is that of Escholzia crocea.— Perhaps my observations & yours have been made on distinct species!!!!¹⁸