Summary

Discusses EM’s book [Die Dolomit-Riffe von Südtirol und Venetien (1878–9)]. Pleased by EM’s views of geological chronology based on evolution. Thinks distribution of land and sea formerly very different. New genera and families may have been developed on isolated tracks and migrated.

Summary

Wants Oxalis specimen named; is fascinated by cotyledonary movements of the genus.

Summary

Will dispatch plants for Kew tomorrow.

Summary

Thanks for account of Fuegians

and news about old "Beaglers".

Has been reading A. A. Brassey [Around the world in the yacht "Sunbeam" (1878)].

Summary

Encloses proof of the Entomological Society’s Proceedings for February to show the use he has made of Fritz Müller’s letter [see 11319].

Summary

Comments on WN’s Oregon: there and back (1878).

Summary

Sleep of Porlieria hygrometrica seems independent of light.

Will have lots of time for oats. W. F. P. Pfeffer’s point is that there is no growth in sleepers with joints. A. F. Batalin says there is a slight growth.

[Dated Saturday 28th by FD.]

Summary

He is getting some of the Heracleum seed sowed and the Cycas planted. Does CD want anything done with the potatoes sent by James Torbitt?

Summary

It is important that notion of "small antiquity" of the earth be upset.

Summary

Thanks FM for letter of 22 Feb [not found] on Lepidoptera. Will send it to Entomological Society to be read. FM’s earlier letters produced best discussions of the season.

Thanks for seeds of Viola.

He and Francis [Darwin] are at work on biology of seedling plants and wish to observe how the flowers penetrate the earth.

The Pontederia did not germinate, probably pressed too much [in post].

Summary

Forwards letter from James Caird concerning funds for potato experiments. CD will correct his letter to THF [11389] and then forward it to Hooker for his opinion.

Summary

Forwards a copy of the Student’s Magazine, which contains the first of a series of articles on CD and his work.

Summary

Asks for list of families of sleeping plants. Believes sleep is merely modified circumnutation at a particular time of day.

Porlieria has had no water for some time but shows no sign of flagging.

Describes the response of Thalia flowers to touch.

Summary

Federico Delpino on mechanical movements of flower parts of Maranta. CD’s observations on Maranta, and his eagerness to compare cases of movement and irritability in plants.

Summary

Sends some "composite portraits", including three of their family ancestors, as described in Nature [18 (1878): 97–100].

Summary

Describes findings of examination of geese with abnormal wings. Says old gander that sired geese is without injury or abnormality. Encloses his assistant’s report.

Summary

Is using CD’s correspondence with Chauncey Wright in his book on CW [Letters of Chauncey Wright (1878)].

Summary

Instructions to sow some seeds

and suggestions for experiment on effects of removal of bloom.

Likes Hugo de Vries very much; has hardly ever seen so modest a man.

Summary

Comments on GJR’s article in Fortnightly Review ["The beginning of nerves", n.s. 24 (1878): 509–26].

Comments on "poor old" Edinburgh Review.

Summary

Gives a referee’s report on Samuel Haughton’s paper ["Notes on physical geology, no. IV", read 4 Apr 1878; published as "Physical geology", Nature 18 (1878): 266–8]. Believes his estimate of geological time is extremely wild. The conclusion that the interval of time separating the Miocene from the present is greater than that between the commencement of the Secondary period and the Miocene "seems almost monstrous". Recommends the paper not be published in the Proceedings.