e against us by saying that here beautiful pods and seeds
have been formed not for the good of the plant, but for the good of
birds alone. These seeds would make a beautiful bracelet for one of my
daughters, if I had enough. I may just mention that Euonymus europoeus
is a case in point: the seeds are coated by a thin orange layer, which I
find is sufficient to cause them to be devoured by birds.

I have received your paper on Martha [Posoqueria (674/4. "Bot. Zeitung,"
1866.)]; it is as wonderful as the most wonderful orchis; Ernst Hackel
brought me the paper and stayed a day with me. I have seldom seen a
more pleasant, cordial, and frank man. He is now in Madeira, where he is
going to work chiefly on the Medusae. His great work is now published,
and I have a copy; but the german is so difficult I can make out but
little of it, and I fear it is too large a work to be translated. Your
fact about the number of seeds in the capsule of the Maxillaria (674/5.
See "Animals and Plants," Edition II., Volume II., page 115.) came just
at the right time, as I wished to give one or two such facts. Does this
orchid produce many capsules? I cannot answer your question about the
aerial roots of Catasetum. I hope you have received the new edition
of the "Origin." Your paper on climbing plants (674/6. "Linn. Soc.
Journal," IX., 1867, page 344.) is printed, and I expect in a day or two
to receive the spare copies, and I will send off three copies as before
stated, and will retain some in case you should wish me to send them to
any one in Europe, and will transmit the remainder to yourself.

LETTER 675. TO F. MULLER. Down [received February 24th, 1867].

Your letter of November 2nd contained an extraordinary amount of
interesting matter. What a number of dimorphic plants South Brazil
produces: you observed in one day as many or more dimorphic genera than
all the botanists in Europe have ever observed. When my present book
is finished I shall write a final paper upon these plants, so that I
am extremely glad to hear of your observations and to see the dried
flowers; nevertheless, I should regret MUCH if I prevented you from
publishing on the subject. Plumbago (675/1. Plumbago has not been shown
to be dimorphic.) is quite new to me, though I had suspected it. It is
curious how dimorphism prevails by groups throughout the world,
showing, as I suppose, that it is an ancient character; thus Hedyotis is
dimorphic in India (675/2. Hedyotis was