Summary

Is sending some lectures as a sign of his society’s respect for CD and his work.

Summary

Received his last letter.

Their third lecture will contain a history of creation from the Darwinian point of view.

Summary

Correspondents are giving public lectures on Descent. Would like CD to supply a statement of his religious views for inclusion.

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

Sends notes on lack of variation in seedlings of trees and shrubs

and on climbers changing their character with age.

Summary

Reports on Schrankia aculeata in which pinna and pinnule are sensitive, but, unlike Mimosa pudica, rachis does not move.

Summary

Thanks for Emanuel Bonavia’s letter on a Laburnum monster.

Summary

C. F. Ledebour [Flora rossica (1842–53)] particularly useful for variety tabulation. Results generally favourable.

Additions to Down House.

Last two chapters of MS took six months to write.

Summary

Asks whether he can start soon on translating Expression.

Thinks CD has gone a little too far on St G. J. Mivart’s objection, which he thinks did very little harm in Germany.

JVC’s history of zoology is finished [Geschichte der Zoologie bis auf Joh. Müller und Charl. Darwin (1872)].

Summary

Will use new English edition [5th, of Origin] in preparing for [4th] German edition. Bronn’s translation of Origin in the title as "Entstehung" is not so precise as "Ursprung" would be. The publisher does not object to changing the title, but JVC is doubtful, because the Origin is so well known in Germany as Entstehung. Asks CD’s opinion.

Summary

Sends copy of his article ["Die Nectarien der Blüthen", Flora 62 (1879): 2–11, 17–27, 49–54, 81–90, 113–23, 145–53, 233–40, 241–7, 305–14, 369–75, 433–8, 449–57].

GWJB’s experiments inspired by reading CD’s botanical works.