Summary

Thanks correspondent for note and specimen; they will be of use in new edition of Forms of flowers.

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Sorry he was out when CD called.

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His brother Cecil is reading Coral reefs, and, as his business involves the Keeling Islands and Torres Straits, he offers to make any observations CD might want.

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Forwards an unspecified work for FD to read.

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Good article by Fritz Müller in Kosmos supporting August Weismann’s views on caterpillars.

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Pleased EH is translating Forms of flowers. Agrees "cowslip" and "oxlip" ought to be translated by their scientific names.

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Regrets he was not at home when HDG called.

HDG’s observations on the evolution of the human ear are well worth consideration.

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Thanks HM for his review [of Forms of flowers, Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 286].

Thinks HM’s previous article was very important [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 128–40]. CD will "heartily rejoice" if HM has explained the steps by which Rhamnus and Valeriana have been rendered dioecious.

Summary

Wishes to borrow third part of Fritz Müller’s article on sexual selection in butterflies [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 218–24].

Is forwarding material on stridulation, including Prof. Wood-Mason’s paper ["Note on Mygale stridulans", Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (1877): 281–2], which should interest CD.

Summary

Is dispatching December number of Kosmos.

Will read the discussion on stridulation that RM mentioned.

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Comments on discovery of micro-organisms in disease.

Describes experiments carried out by Francis Darwin on filaments of Dipsacus.

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Sends cutting on origin of variety of merino sheep.

Would like references to works on breeding.

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Discusses dates when he might meet the prince (Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria) in London, or perhaps the Prince might visit Down.

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Cites language books; a comparison of them shows unity of language.

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Asks about the composition of a spermaceti ointment which he has been buying for some years "because I blackened some young shoots of plants with this ointment mixed with Lamp-black & it produced an extraordinary effect on the shoots, which I think cannot be accounted for merely by the exclusion of light".

Summary

Constituents of spermaceti ointment supplied to CD. Perhaps effect was caused by substance used to bleach the bees-wax.

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LD’s chemical analysis of lamp-black.

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Has been testing lamp-black for ammonia.

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Thinks there can be no objection to RM’s using a Fritz Müller letter [see 11319].

Summary

CD and son [Francis] working on spontaneous movements of plants and heliotropism.

Has given [Raphael Meldola] permission to read extracts of FM’s last letter [not found], on odours emitted by moths, before Entomological Society [Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (1878): ii–iii].