Summary

Encloses report on his paper "Old age characteristics among ammonites", [Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 17 (1875): 236–41].

Stability of long inherited characters. Dependence of some recently acquired characters on the environment.

Summary

Had two mornings working on Drosera but it was sluggish. Frog preparations are pretty good.

Summary

Wonders if it is possible that the couvade had its origin in an early habit of the male sex to take part in the nourishment of the offspring.

Summary

The generic name Genlisea must be preserved for Utriculariaceae with five-part calyces.

Summary

Disapproves of Huxley’s article [review of Ernst Haeckel’s Anthropogenie] in Academy [7 (1875): 16–18].

Summary

Huxley strongly dissuades JDH from writing to Mivart because of his Presidency of Royal Society. JDH will hold his letter until he hears what Bentham says.

Summary

Encloses results of experiments on influence of snake poison on ciliary action and vegetable protoplasm.

Summary

Tyndall, T. A. Hirst and Spencer dissuade him from writing to Mivart, but he will let him feel his disapproval.

Summary

FMM discusses his reply to George Darwin’s article [see 9711].

Intends within a year to place his whole argument before CD when, he hopes, his difficulties connected with the origin of language will be carefully considered by CD.

Summary

Thanks CD for his letter of 1 Jan 1875. Will send a paper on the genus Volvox ["Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Gattung Volvox", Cohn Beitr. Biol. Pflanz. 1 (1875) Heft 3: 99–115].

Informs CD of his discoveries of the "house"-building capacity of Difflugia, one of the lowest forms of organism.

Sends CD his writing on Aldrovanda and Utricularia, which he is welcome to use in his forthcoming book [Insectivorous plants].

Has observed a Dionaea fertilised without insect aid.

Summary

Is on the eve of another row with the Office of Works about his application for assistance.

Summary

Would like to see papers [on potato grafting] mentioned by CD.

CD has doubtless seen case in Gardeners’ Chronicle of vine in which scion has affected the stock [P. Grieve, "Singular sport upon a grape vine", Gard. Chron. (1875): 21].

Summary

Wants references to facts quoted in Variation for an essay he is writing on origin of British cattle.

Summary

JDH wins over Douglas Galton and Lord Henry Lennox on assistant secretary for himself.

Has called on Murray and told him Quarterly Review had disgraced itself by attacking George and CD.

Summary

Sends a letter from Anton Dohrn, which, if CD approves, will be printed with a list of all donors to the Naples Zoological Station. AGD-S has just returned from a visit to the Station and gives an account of its status. German government has made a grant.

Summary

Agrees with CD on vivisection. Will communicate with Burdon Sanderson and see what can be done.

Mivart’s wriggle.

Summary

Writes on behalf of Royal Society Polar Committee for suggestions concerning instructions to naturalists on new expedition.

Summary

Does CD think it desirable for EBT’s wife to produce a new English translation of A. E. Brehm’s work [Illustrirtes Thierleben (1864–7)]?

Summary

Suspects a plant he has found, Hyoscyamus niger, is insectivorous. Its hairs in water caused dissolution of egg-white.

Summary

Account of the fund to help Anton Dohrn’s zoological station at Naples.