Summary

Sends comments and suggestions for Huth’s experiment on crossbreeding rabbits.

Summary

Requesting two books, Lafitau 1724 and Tanner 1830.

Summary

Thanks SN for his explanation of vines.

Discusses SN’s observation on roots secreting carbonic acid.

Summary

Agrees to write to William Ogle [about twins with crooked fingers].

Describes growth of sweetpeas for experiment.

Summary

Asks whether the twins WO reported to CD [see 5470] were named Macrae. F. Galton has told him of a similar case with twins so named who inherited crooked little fingers from the maternal side [see Variation, 2d ed., 2: 240]. [The twins referred to by WO were actually his sisters, see 10170.]

Summary

Will propose GJR for membership in Linnean Society.

Discusses GJR’s grafting experiments.

Summary

Thinks JGFR should send report of coloured spots on infants’ buttocks to some ethnological society.

Summary

Thanks FG for issues of Revue [Scientifique vol. 7, containing lectures by Claude Bernard].

Ogle says twins [with crooked fingers] are his sisters.

Recommends book by M. A. Puvis [De la dégénération des variétés de végétaux (1837)].

Summary

From Galton’s "twin study" he suspects that some progenitor of WO’s had the peculiarities in question.

Has collected cases of signs of assent for a revised edition of Expression.

Suggests bees visit same species because they know how far to insert proboscis and thus save time.

Summary

CD obliged about the Schrankia

and thanks WTT-D for details of last number of Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Summary

Thanks him for his kind review of Insectivorous plants in the Spectator. Disputes Tait’s report of a Nepenthes that trapped a fly but did not digest it.

Summary

Sends proofs of Variation [2d ed.] for FD to look over.

Summary

Sends his compliments and thanks [with payment of £13 to TWN for compiling catalogue of CD’s books].

Summary

Suggests WTT-D read account of Bignonia capreolata in forthcoming Climbing plants.

Plans experiments [on Melastomataceae]. Describes similar experiment performed on Monochaetum. Interested in meaning of differently coloured stamens.

Summary

Comments on review [of Insectivorous plants] in New York Independent.

Working on Cross and self-fertilisation.

Summary

Fears Variation [2d ed.] will not be ready for Murray’s annual sale unless printer sends proof more quickly. Arrangements with Italian publishers.

Summary

Comments on the sudden death of Chauncey Wright.

Summary

CD is circulating certificate proposing GJR for membership in Linnean Society.

Discusses hybrid potatoes from Germany.

Summary

R. L. Tait has requested CD send his [Tait’s] paper on Nepenthes to Royal Society. CD considers this a nuisance.

Certificate for G. J. Romanes.

Francis’ experiments on mechanism of twisted seeds.

Summary

Comments on difficulty of distinguishing between lower animal and vegetable organisms.