y
moths, producing fertile eggs without copulation.

With respect to the Ray Society, I profited so enormously by its
publishing my Cirrepedia, that I cannot quite agree with you on
confining it to translations; I know not how else I could possibly have
published.

I have just sent in my name for 20 pounds to the Linnaean Society, but
I must confess I have done it with heavy groans, whereas I daresay you
gave your 20 pounds like a light-hearted gentleman...

P.S. Wollaston speaks strongly about the intermediate grade between
two varieties in insects and mollusca being often rarer than the two
varieties themselves. This is obviously very important for me, and
not easy to explain. I believe I have had cases from you. But, if you
believe in this, I wish you would give me a sentence to quote from
you on this head. There must, I think, be a good deal of truth in it;
otherwise there could hardly be nearly distinct varieties under any
species, for we should have instead a blending series, as in brambles
and willows.

LETTER 49. TO J.D. HOOKER. July 13th, 1856.

What a book a devil's chaplain might write on the clumsy, wasteful,
blundering, low, and horribly cruel works of nature! With respect to
crossing, from one sentence in your letter I think you misunderstand me.
I am very far from believing in hybrids: only in crossing of the same
species or of close varieties. These two or three last days I have been
observing wheat, and have convinced myself that L. Deslongchamps is
in error about impregnation taking place in closed flowers; i.e., of
course, I can judge only from external appearances. By the way, R. Brown
once told me that the use of the brush on stigma of grasses was unknown.
Do you know its use?...

You say most truly about multiple creations and my notions. If any one
case could be proved, I should be smashed; but as I am writing my book,
I try to take as much pains as possible to give the strongest cases
opposed to me, and often such conjectures as occur to me. I have been
working your books as the richest (and vilest) mine against me; and
what hard work I have had to get up your New Zealand Flora! As I have
to quote you so often, I should like to refer to Muller's case of
the Australian Alps. Where is it published? Is it a book? A correct
reference would be enough for me, though it is wrong even to quote
without looking oneself. I should like to see very much Forbes's sheets,
which you refer to; but I mus