Summary

H. W. Bates says CD is in town. WWR would like to call.

Summary

Sends notes on waxy secretion on leaves for F. M. Balfour; cannot procure any more Dionaea.

Summary

Starts tomorrow for visit to Farrer and Effie [Euphemia Farrer, daughter of Hensleigh Wedgwood]. Has not done such a feat [i.e., staying as a guest of someone outside the immediate family?] for 25 years.

Has been half killing himself with Drosera.

Summary

Discusses apple specimens received from CL; reversion to crab state. Cites passage on subject in Variation.

Comments on letter from Mr Wood on inheritance in fruit-trees.

Would like to cross flowers of "Hawthornden" with many distinct varieties.

Summary

Will see whether formic acid delays germination of fresh seeds.

Thinks primer not at all a folly. Refers JDH to Asa Gray’s "child’s book" [see 8363].

Summary

Explains why he wants Drosophyllum.

Hopes JDH will be elected President of Royal Society.

Agrees with JDH on Greg’s Enigmas.

Would like Greg to visit Down if JDH comes as CD’s "protector".

Summary

Has heard that Mr Allen wishes to let his house and thinks it probable that it would suit his son [Francis]. Asks whether he may have refusal of it.

Summary

Thanks EWL for his book about hydropathy [Old medicine and new (1873)].

Summary

Reports that grapes are spoiled by rain at vintage time and that damaged grapes, whose "bloom" is not intact, are particularly susceptible.

Summary

Two students express their gratitude and admiration.

Summary

Experiments with Mimosa.

Summary

Does not understand TM’s views on sex and vitality.

Agrees no real "essences" in genera, only broken groups of species.

Summary

Thanks JDH and Thiselton-Dyer for useful information.

Is surprised Mimosa albida is not sensitive to water. Asks that they try again, or lend it to him.

Remembers a walk in Brazil in great bed of Mimosa.

After JDH left, CD was very bad, with much loss of memory and severe shocks continually passing through his brain.

Summary

Thanks for report on J. V. Carus’ lecture.

Glad to hear suspicion about J. H. Stirling groundless.

CD has not seen R. W. Emerson. In last two or three years has seen several Yankees. Saw a good deal of the Nortons [Charles Eliot and Susan Ridley Sedgwick].

Summary

Thanks for strange debate, which CD returns. Principle of evolution has first-rate supporters in [Edward Sylvester?] Morse and Theodore Nicholas Gill.

Summary

Pleased JSBS has decided to work on Drosera; sends plants. Does not know whether thermo-electric pile could detect temperature change when leaves close.

CD’s experiment with very weak hydrochloric acid repeated with success: the plants digest albumen more quickly.

Summary

Extremely glad to hear of the aggregation in Nepenthes glands. Advises on experimenting with cubes of albumen – gives sizes, also suggests cubes of roast meat. Thanks for analyses of secretion of Nepenthes.

Asks for cutting of Acacia farnesiana.

Longs to examine a species of Desmodium with three leaflets. Has asked Frank [Darwin] to look for species of Desmodium with tendrils.

Summary

Asks JDH why so many plants are protected by a thin layer of waxy matter or with fine hairs.

Wrote to John Smith for a plant of Oxalis sensitiva, but it has not acted well.

Rejoices over Ayrton’s retirement. Hopes W. P. Adam, his successor, is a good sort of man.

Summary

Reports that the ability to move ears is common among the Sioux.

Summary

Sends observations from a friend in India confirming CD’s view that bees cut the tubes of flowers to extract [nectar] in order to save time.

Also observations on snails descending from trees on threads suspended from their tails.