Summary

May CD’s son send some bottles of water, in which Pelargonium leaves have been immersed, for more precise analysis of the potassium or other soluble ash? Can EF recommend a professional analyst to take on further experiments?

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Glad to receive the German edition of Erasmus Darwin. Hopes sales will be good. Favourable review has appeared in the United States, in the Nation.

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Preparing his book, Animal intelligence [1882].

Spent an afternoon with a spiritualist but did not learn anything.

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Would like more information about Erasmus Darwin’s shorthand writing for his series on "Shorthand writers of renown".

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Fritz Müller’s daughter has committed suicide.

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MS of Movement in plants in final stage. Fears it will displease many German physiologists. It is an attempt to bring all the diversified movements of plants under one general law or system.

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Forgot he owned vol. 1 of Hermann Engelhard von Nathusius’s Vorträge über Viehzucht und Raßenkenntniss (Nathusius 1872–80). Please to send vol. 2 when convenient.

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There has been talk in American papers of CD’s admitting he was wrong about hybrid sterility. TM has presented CD’s views in the New York Independent.

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Thanks for the interesting case of inheritance.

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Invites HNM to Down on 9 May.

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F. V. Dickins feels hurt at CD’s censure of him over the Omori shell mound controversy [see Collected papers 2: 222–3]. Dickins is well educated in science and long familiar with Japan, having been editor of the Japan Mail. In Japan, E. S. Morse is considered a charlatan, and American scientists, e.g., A. Agassiz, have a low opinion of him.

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Discusses Pallasian doctrine; considers plants are splendid for making one believe in natural selection.

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Requests a copy of Ray Lankester’s lecture or essay on degeneration (Lankester, E. Ray. 1880. Degeneration: A chapter in Darwinism. London: Macmillan.).

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Hopes that Lankester will come stay next Sunday. Clark, Galton and Moseley will also be there.

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Expresses his delight with and admiration for THH’s "Coming of age [of The origin of species]" in Nature [22 (1880): 1–4].

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Corrects CD’s statement [Descent 1: 19] that the platysma myoides muscle cannot be brought into voluntary action. He can move every one of his facial muscles.

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Thanks for information.

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Writes regarding an [unspecified] election at a university. JL wonders whether William Darwin would speak to two Southampton men about it.

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Forwards John Lubbock’s letter and hopes WED might influence the men "for the sake of science".

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Cannot offer any assistance in urging Government to aid JT’s experiments. Thinks best chance through [William Edward?] Forster. William Carruthers reported to Royal Agricultural Society that JT’s attempt was hopeless.