420 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION [CHAP. VI 



Letter 323 offering for me this reward or payment to your little girls ? 

 You would have to select the most conscientious ones, that I 

 might not get wrong seeds. I have just been comparing the 

 lists, and I suspect you would not have very many of the 

 Azorean plants. You have, however, 



Ranunculus repens, 







Papaver rJioeas, ? 



dubium, ? 

 Chelidonium majus^ ? 

 Fumaria officinalis. ? 



All these are Azorean plants. 



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 " * 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 $d. would be hardly enough, and if the number of 

 kinds does not turn out very great it shall be 6d. per packet. 



1 See Letter 279, p. 368. 



