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, 



„ parviflorus, 



Papaver r/icras, ? 



„ 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 nexi 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 " 1 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 id. 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. 



