Summary

CD’s servant submits estimate for work to be done on pantry.

Summary

Informs CD which woodblocks of illustrations to the Geology of "Beagle" are in their possession and which are missing.

Summary

Good news about Frankland. Expecting burnt earth. Almost finished the Foodbodies Paper on Acacia. He and Amy are learning to use the new printing machine.

Summary

Writes of his "geo-mathematical" work.

Summary

On his new paper for Royal Society on a point of leaf arrangement. Asks CD to communicate it and "gives some details of its contents", e.g., recorded observations of changing leaf-order on individual specimens.

Comments on a paper by George Henslow ["Helianthus tuberosus", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26 (1876): 647].

Summary

Responds to CD’s query as to the duration of crossed varieties of peas. [See Cross and self-fertilisation, p. 305.]

Summary

Has read letter from Jemmy. Amy has been practicing on the printing machine. Fritz has come back from the Vicar of Orpington.

Summary

Encloses article on local immunity to tuberculosis. Has he interpreted CD’s views correctly? Believes the immunity notable in areas like Iceland or mountain areas is due to local conditions, not natural selection. Describes his sanatorium in mountains of Silesia and medical criticism of his work.

Summary

Two parts of the second edition of the Italian translation of Variation are already out.

Expression will soon follow [published in 1878].

The publisher [Unione] asks CD to give him the right of Italian translations of his works.

Summary

Has repeated his observations and experiments used in Insectivorous plants; finds them sound.

Revises his reference to production of pepsin.

Summary

Sends Die Perigenesis der Plastidule [1876]. Comments on CD’s theory of Pangenesis. Explains his own theory of Perigenesis.

Returns Webb and Berthelot, Îles Canaries; Géographie botanique [1840].

Describes work on 3d ed. of Anthropogenie.

Summary

A reader of Descent offers two items: 1. Masters observed a pericardial fold in humans and other mammals which is a vestigial left superior vena cava;

2. JM suggests the frenum of the human penis became necessary for vis-à-vis copulation when man became bipedal.

Summary

Sends his copies of CD’s MS of Cross and self-fertilisation and calls attention to errors in addition.

Summary

Has become Professor of Botany at Genoa.

Offers to send his paper on the necessity of out-crossing.

Summary

Thanks CD for his authorisation for the résumé which LG will read to the Société Botanique de Lyon.

Insectivorous plants has made a sensation in France. Some are for, some against. Some doubt that a plant could absorb and assimilate the matter dissolved by the secretions. Asks CD if N. B. Ward’s method of culture might be used to answer the question definitively.

Summary

On communication noises used by domestic poultry.

Summary

Has had a cold. Salvia hasn't come yet. Will look for orchids tomorrow. Will send off bull's-horn acacia on Monday or Tuesday.

Summary

The Salvia has arrived.

Has found several fly orchids coming in flower, but no Cephalanthera or Musk.

Cannot do any teazel work.

Anthelme Thozet has sent him a lot of Ophideres.

Summary

Reports his discovery of the behaviour of protoplasm in teasel cells.

Summary

Has sent off Bulls Horn to Kew; has sent hamper to CD; is preparing drawings for his presentation at the Linnean Society; asks after William, and hopes to be able to come to visit.