Summary

Lists the tasks he has completed; sends on letter from Romanes; news of Bernard.

Summary

FD’s corrections for Orchids [1877] are all very good and useful.

Summary

Oliver cannot, as CD has requested, hunt for trimorphic flowers in the Herbarium’s collection of Oxalis specimens. He would help Frank if he comes.

Summary

Wants WED to collect some worm-castings from Beaulieu Abbey.

Summary

Forwards letters.

Summary

Julius von Sachs’s views on stomata seem largely correct, but CD cannot understand how leaves can survive submerged for such long periods.

Has been observing Drosera and concludes that none of the movement of the tentacles is caused by growth.

Suggests observations to show role of pulvinus in leaf movement.

Summary

CD counters Thiselton-Dyer’s objection to protoplasmic filaments of Dipsacus protruding beyond cell-wall, as Frank’s paper claims, by citing white "blood cells passing through vessels".

Has received Moseley’s collection of photographs.

Summary

Thanks GB for corrections to chapter on cleistogamic flowers [Forms of flowers].

Asks for his opinion on "bloom"-producing plants in different climates.

Summary

Observations on a sensitive Mimosa.

Comments on structure and positioning of "odoriferous organs" of moths and butterflies,

and feeding habits of butterfly larvae.

Summary

Discusses plants to be sent to Kew.

Thanks for letter about Trifolium

and for R. I. Lynch’s observations on sleep of Erythrina.

Mentions letter from F. J. Cohn, dealing with discovery by Francis Darwin, that CD has had printed in Nature ["The contractile filaments of the teasel", Nature 16 (1877): 339; Collected papers 2: 205–7].

Summary

AdeC’s two letters on bloom will be very useful; his remarks on evaporation and absorption seem very just. CD has made few experiments as yet. The investigation has been tedious and difficult.

Summary

Offers to send MS of part of his new book [Life and habit] which gently pokes fun at CD. His book will offer an alternative to Pangenesis.

Summary

Thanks for the plants.

Is doubtful whether he will make out anything about "bloom".

Summary

Discusses effects of natural selection. Discusses absence of blending between geographical races as a problem. Discusses effect of natural selection on productivity of an organism.

Comments on GJR’s review of Grant Allen’s book [Physiological aesthetics (1877)].

Summary

Will be interested in reading AdeC’s paper on Smilax. The transition from hermaphroditic to unisexual condition is a perplexing problem.

CD agrees that there is much justice in AdeC’s criticism of his use of the terms "object", "end", and "purpose" but thinks "those who believe that organs have been gradually modified by natural selection for a special purpose, may I think use the above terms correctly though no conscious being has intervened".

CD and Francis are hard at work on the function of "bloom" but CD doubts that the experiments will tell them much.

Does AdeC have a decided opinion on whether plants with glaucous leaves are more frequent in hot or dry than in cold or wet countries?

Francis has been getting "striking" results from feeding meat to Drosera.

Summary

Last night had tremendous thunderstorm. Will ask Goebel about proshelismus. Describes experiments on beans. Please send Bessy’s address. Has got to know nice Englishman named Purdy and his wife. Bathes nearly every night with the Finlander.

Summary

What a foolish idea seems to prevail in Germany on the connection between Socialism and Evolution through Natural Selection.

Summary

Comments on GJR’s papers in Nature [see 11103].

Mentions manuscript by Miss Lawless on fertilisation in plants.

Discusses work of Francis Darwin on Dipsacus

and his own experiments on Drosera.

Summary

[Draft of letter for Francis Darwin to write to SF.] CD declines to express an opinion on SF’s query.

Summary

CD has again become interested in "bloom" on plants; requests JDH’s help with seeds and plants.