Summary

Thanks correspondent for the copies of his engraving. "The work seems to be, though I cannot pretend to be a judge, a vy fine production".

Summary

Orders a sheet of gold-beater’s skin for plant experiments.

Summary

Comments on a letter from Fritz Müller [11839] and particularly on the subject of the disappearance of certain structures in organisms. FM’s explanation deserves serious consideration.

Summary

Thanks for letter and articles: gratifying to hear that agriculturalists attend to his works.

Cannot decipher German writing so has stuck the address from the letter on the envelope.

Summary

Unable to accept invitation.

Looked at leaves and saw no sign that animal matter was absorbed. Believes insects were caught only accidentally.

Summary

Is obliged for the note about Wallis Nash’s death, but he has since heard that the report was false.

Summary

Reports information sent by E. Schulte [12254] on the colours of the male Diadema bolina.

Discusses extent to which consciousness came into play in the origin of certain instincts, including sexual display.

Summary

CD has repeated a test of whether hybrids of the common and Chinese goose are fertile inter se. Reports his success, and comments on its significance for the theory of descent.

Summary

In reply to a query [in Nature 19 (1879): 433] CD reports that vessels full of water were kept on the deck of a ship to discourage rats from gnawing holes in the ship’s water casks.

Summary

Hearty thanks for the two bottles of pure water.

Summary

Frank [Darwin] has found a Trifolium remarkable for "bloom", but it was not in flower. If GHD knows where it grows, could he dig up the whole plant?

Summary

Thanks WTT-D for Drosophyllum seeds.

Summary

Asks whether canary grass and oats have chlorophyll in their cotyledons.

Has been working hard at circumnutation of leaves to see whether sleep movements are exaggerated circumnutation.

Summary

Will not sign a petition, for he feels vivisection is essential to the progress of physiology.

Summary

Requests some seeds.

Believes the leaves of Phyllanthus sleep like those of Cassia.

Summary

Discusses A. B. Frank’s views [Beiträge zur Pflanzenphysiologie (1868)] on how plants position themselves; differences and similarities compared with their own conclusions.

Summary

Thanks AG for his kind note and returns his good wishes.

Summary

Mentions wheat varieties sent by Governor General of Turkestan.

Summary

Fears that the promised bottle of pure water may have been despatched or stolen in passage. [See 11768a.]

Summary

G[eorge] has visited A[nthony] R[ich] at Worthing.