Summary

Thanks for letter and promise to send pamphlet.

Summary

"Earthworms are hermaphrodite, but two must unite & both produce eggs.–– I have seen hundreds coupled, early in the morning & occasionally during the night.––"

Summary

Reports observations of W. D. Crick [see 13705, 13715, and 13721] and Frank Norgate [see 13079]. They leave no doubt that living bivalves are often carried from pond to pond.

Summary

Is glad to hear that Hermann Müller approves of D’AWT’s translation of his work [Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)]; he hopes a publisher may be found for a work of such high value.

Summary

Orders two bottles of "the simple Antispasmodic" and "the Glycerin Pepsin mixture". Andrew Clark wishes him to commence his physic at once.

Summary

Encloses a letter from a Mr Hill on some [unspecified] legal matter.

Summary

Describes grafting experiment of Baron de Villa Franca, which produced new varieties of sugar-cane. Encloses related documents.

Summary

Thanks GA for his article ["The daisy’s pedigree", Cornhill Mag. 44 (1881): 168–81].

The evolutionary argument that petals are transformed stamens is "striking and apparently valid". Doubts petals are naturally yellow.

Wallace’s "generalization about much modified parts being splendidly coloured" is also dubious except as both are caused by sexual selection.

Summary

Thanks VOK for a photograph and his New Year wishes.

Summary

Asks GJR’s opinion about grafting experiments on sugar-cane carried out by the Baron [de Villa Franca].

Summary

On F. M. Balfour.

Effects of ammonium carbonate on roots.

FM’s Pontederia case is very curious.

Summary

Accepts GJR’s offer to prepare sugar-cane paper for publication [Villa Franca and Glass, "New varieties of sugar-cane", Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (1880–2): 30–1]. Suggests introduction and outline.

Agrees with GJR on microscope for Grant Allen.

Summary

Is obliged for TE’s paper on the wall lizard and another paper.

Summary

CD’s gardener reports that potatoes were not attacked by disease, but yield was not good. Noble of JT to plan the return of subscriptions if trade continues to improve.

Summary

Thanks FJC for presentation copy [of Die Pflanze (1882)].

Summary

Thanks for Science and culture [1881].

Refers to "Automatism" ["On the hypothesis that animals are automata"], wishing THH could review himself and answer himself and thus go on ad infinitum to the joy and instruction of the world.

Summary

Quantity of nitrogen in castings surprises CD.

Comments on papers: [J. B. Lawes and J. H. Gilbert, "Results of experiments on mixed herbage, pt 1", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 171 (1880): 289–416; Gilbert, Lawes and M. T. Masters, "pt 2: The botanical results", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 173 (1882): 1181–413].

Has never made sections to see how deep worms burrow – five or six feet is probable. Wishes the problem had arisen when he made his observations.

Summary

Thanks WO for gift of his translation [Aristotle’s De partibus animalium]. Suspects the introduction would interest him more than the text "notwithstanding that he [Aristotle] was such a wonderful old fellow".

Summary

Prefers to make the present of microscope at once [to Grant Allen].