ants.

With respect to cultivating plants, I mean to begin on very few, for
I may find it too troublesome. I have already had for some months
primroses and cowslips, strongly manured with guano, and with flowers
picked off, and one cowslip made to grow in shade; and next spring I
shall collect seed.

I think you have quite misunderstood me in regard to my object in
getting you to mark in accompanying list with (x) all the "close
species" (323/1. See Letter 279.) i.e., such as you do not think to
be varieties, but which nevertheless are very closely allied; it has
nothing whatever to do with their cultivation, but I cannot tell you
[my] object, as it might unconsciously influence you in marking them.
Will you draw your pencil right through all the names of those (few)
species, of which you may know nothing. Afterwards, when done, I will
tell you my object--not that it is worth telling, though I myself am
very curious on the subject. I know and can perceive that the definition
of "close species" is very vague, and therefore I should not care for
the list being marked by any one, except by such as yourself.

Forgive this long letter. I thank you heartily for all your assistance.

My dear old Master, Yours affectionately, C. Darwin.

Perhaps 3 pence would be hardly enough, and if the number of kinds does
not turn out very great it shall be 6 pence per packet.

LETTER 324. ASA GRAY TO CHARLES DARWIN.

(324/1. In reply to Darwin's letter, June 8th, 1855, given in "Life and
Letters," II., page 61.)

Harvard University, Cambridge, U.S., June 30th, 1855.

Your long letter of the 8th inst. is full of interest to me, and I shall
follow out your hints as far as I can. I rejoice in furnishing facts to
others to work up in their bearing on general questions, and feel it the
more my duty to do so inasmuch as from preoccupation of mind and
time and want of experience I am unable to contribute direct original
investigations of the sort to the advancement of science.

Your request at the close of your letter, which you have such needless
hesitation in making, is just the sort of one which it is easy for me to
reply to, as it lies directly in my way. It would probably pass out of
my mind, however, at the time you propose, so I will attend to it at
once, to fill up the intervals of time left me while attending to one or
two pupils. So I take some unbound sheets of a copy of the "Manual," and
mark off the "close species" by con