Summary

Announces arrival of the Merope [Leonard Darwin’s ship] at Canterbury, New Zealand.

Summary

Wishes CD could publish Origin with footnotes.

Increases in bird populations: starlings are increasing, but AN cannot give reason; mistletoe-thrush increasing but not ousting song-thrush. Doubts trustworthiness of [George?] Edwards, CD’s authority in Origin on this matter [see Origin, 6th ed., p. 59].

AN opposed to bird protection legislation to prohibit egging. Argues egging does not decrease number of birds.

Summary

Thanks for proofs [of Descent, 2d English ed.].

Publisher would like better photographs for Expression [2d German ed.].

Summary

GHD has been using E. Norman [CD’s copyist], and he apologises if this has caused delays to CD’s work.

Summary

Bernard Quaritch interested in reprinting Primitive marriage.

Summary

Has been invited to lecture at the Royal Institution by Spottiswoode. Discusses subjects he might deal with and his reasons for attempting it.

Tells of a complicated case of a double sale of a living.

Huxley says F. M. Balfour passed brilliantly.

Summary

The appetite of Nepenthes for hard-boiled egg is prodigious.

Summary

Has finished the "cousin paper" and will offer it to W. Farr for the Statistical Society.

Describes other work in progress.

Has CD heard of A. M. Mayer’s curious work on audition of insects [Am. J. Sci. 3d ser. 8 (1874): 89–103?]

Summary

Reports that Pinguicula is found in north of Scotland. Gives local names and uses. None of his patients, who are from all parts of Scotland, has heard of the use of Pinguicula to curdle milk.

Summary

Sends Descent material. Is staggered by CD’s power of marshalling facts and his conciseness and clearness of thought. The only fault he finds is some slight want of conciseness of diction.

He feels CD’s power more now "that I quail before the thought of arranging the few paltry facts I’ve got about those d––d cousins".

Summary

WED encloses a letter from H. M. Wilkinson about Utricularia and sundew.

H. M. Wilkinson has examined bladders of Utricularia; doubts that they absorb or digest insects.

H. M. Wilkinson describes dragonfly trapped by sundew [Drosera].

Summary

Probably a discussiion of J. D. Hooker’s feelings after death of his wife, Frances Harriet, on 13 November 1874: the letter is badly damaged.

Summary

GHD explains conduction, radiation, and convection.

His paper on political economy for Royal Institution lecture has reached 60 pages. Plans to send it to Contemporary Review.

Summary

Sends further details on Pinguicula reference.

Summary

Asks what can be the meaning of appendages to tips of leaflets of enclosed Acacia or Mimosa.

Is at fibrin today.

Michael Foster suggests coagulation of protoplasm may be diseased, not digestive, symptom.

F. M. Balfour is at Kew today.

Summary

Russian Expression has sold nearly 2000 copies.

Plans to come to England to study collections of vertebrate fossils from the Chalk. This will complement his work in the south of France.

Summary

On hearing of CD’s work with Drosera, tells of his experiment showing extreme sensitivity of the iris of a dog’s eye to atropine. [See Insectivorous plants, p. 173.]

Summary

Thiselton-Dyer’s announcement of his inability to continue as JDH’s private secretary is a blow. He will now be doing original work. JDH is glad of that but the loss of his help is great.

Summary

Spottiswoode is pressing for an answer to invitation to GHD to lecture at the Royal Institution. GHD is having MS of the paper he has written sent to CD, so that CD can advise whether he should accept the invitation.

Summary

Has "given the slip" to Nepenthes, but is setting a plant up in an enclosure for special observation.

Has some splendid Sarracenia and will perform any miracle regarding them CD puts him up to.

Charmed with CD’s account of Pinguicula. Would like to try whether Lychnis has the same use of viscid fluid.

Has written for English Utricularia for CD.