NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



vx 



" I may add that you are not quite correct 

 (towards the close of your paper) in supposing that 

 I believe that insects directly modify the structure 

 of flowers. I only believe that spontaneous varia- 

 tions adapted to the structure of certain insects 

 flourish and are preserved." 



The paper was read on April 15, 1869, and 

 then, as usual, was submitted to the Council to 

 decide as to its publication. After full considera- 

 tion, their decision was communicated to Spruce 

 by the secretary as follows : 



" I am requested to communicate to you their 

 opinion that the paper will require modification 

 before they can recommend its publication. It is 

 considered that the evidence adduced is insufficient 

 to overcome the improbability of the sacs in the 

 course of ages having become inherited, and that 

 although there would be no objection to a state- 

 ment that the author has been led to suspect that 

 the structures in question are now inherited (which 

 might lead to further investigations), it would be 

 inadvisable for the Society to publish positive state- 

 ments on the subject of inheritance without much 

 fuller evidence. The Council wish me to say that 

 if you do not object to alter the title of the paper, 

 and to strike out some short passages, marked in 

 pencil on the margin, they will be glad to undertake 

 the publication of the paper, as they think it highly 

 desirable that the facts recorded should be made 

 known." 



The paper was returned to him to make the 

 alterations required if he wished to do so, but 

 nothing more was heard of it, and it has remained 



