Thanks for Orchids.
Plans to publish soon on hybrids.
Lyell is "half-hearted but whole-headed" for CD's theory. George Bentham wholly converted.
Bates's book delightful but has a Darwinistic bias.
Cameroon plants.
JDH defends Bates against J. E. Gray's slanders.
The Lyell-Falconer squabble.
Discusses island vs continental floras and their degree of modification.
Critical of Wallace.
CD's observations on phyllotaxy.
Flora of Cameroons shakes JDH's faith in ability to explain past or present migrations. Sees need for a major novel explanation such as natural selection, glacial cold, or continental connections.
Lyell in a bad way about feud with Falconer.
JDH's opinion of Wallace, Bates, J. E. Gray, Owen, Asa Gray, Lubbock, and Bentham.
Bentham's Linnean Society address [see 4118].
CD's encouragement of John Scott, who has found a case of self-incompatibility in orchids, like William Herbert's in Crinum.
Nägeli on phyllotaxy.
CD's observations on broom fertilisation.
AG's review of Alphonse de Candolle's paper [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 35 (1863): 430-44] is excellent.
Does not AG consider that orchids oppose Oswald Heer's view that species arise suddenly by monstrosities?
Infers that AG cannot explain the angles of phyllotaxy; has been looking at Carl Nägeli on the subject.
Reports Gaston de Saporta's belief that natural selection will ultimately triumph in France.
Is working slowly at Variation.
Reports his observations on the imperfect flowers of Viola and Oxalis.
Pleased that Bentham is cautious about Naudin's view of reversion. CD can show experimentally that crossing of races and species tends to bring back ancient characters.
Suggests Gärtner's Bastarderzeugung [1849] be translated
and that Oliver review Scott's Primula paper [J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 8 (1865): 78-126] for a future issue of Natural History Review.
Is working on Variation.
Congratulates CD on the Copley Medal.
Directs CD to his short memoir on crossing ["De l'hybridité", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 59 (1864): 837-45].
He has finished MEW's work on hybrid willows [Die Bastardbefruchtung im Planzenreich (1865)] and sends his thanks. The extreme frequency of hybrid willows is new to CD, and he finds the explanation of their numbers in certain locations ingenious.
Comments on the criticism of Gärtner's view of reversion
and the differences between MEW and Naudin.
CD now has doubts regarding his own view that hybrids are sterile from not being perfectly accommodated to their conditions of life.
In response to a letter from RS's father [translation enclosed] Schweizerbart has suggested H. B. Geinitz revise Bronn's edition of the Origin, but RS doubts he is suitable.
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