Summary

FD has asked J. B. Sanderson about Mucin.

Summary

He is travelling overnight by train from London to Pantlludw and will wake A. R. Ruck with a morningade on his flute.

Summary

Abstracts literature on sensitive plants (Linnaeus, L. P. Cailletet, W. R. McNab).

The Mimosa at Down is M. pudica.

Dichogamy in Eucalyptus difficult to decide, but Thiselton-Dyer thinks there is some protandry.

[Letter is in W. T. Thiselton-Dyer’s hand.]

Summary

Diagnosis of CD’s illness; prescribed diet.

Summary

Proud of CD’s good opinion of him. He worked in a merchant’s office in Germany for many years. Emigrated to Australia as a gold-digger and took up natural history after he was 30.

Summary

Comparative study of "ethnical scriptures" shows that natural selection has operated in the evolution of religion.

Summary

Reports case of a man with an eyelid abnormality that apparently was acquired in infancy but was inherited by his children.

Summary

Thanks CD for his praise of West Riding Asylum Medical Reports.

Hopes CD will come to Asylum if he attends BAAS meeting at Bradford.

Summary

Mimosa too far gone to send now.

CD’s marjoram is the common [Origanum] vulgare, not the pot herb.

On the water injury, Thiselton-Dyer and he may have used too fine a spray, but plant is insensitive.

Horribly angry at P. G. Tait’s letter in Nature [8 (1873): 381–2].

Tyndall writes that he is strong – the next number of Nature will prove it.

G. Henslow is much better.

JDH leaves for Bradford [BAAS meeting] tomorrow.

Rejoices at CD’s success with Drosera; longs to be at Nepenthes.

Summary

Reports that S. W. Moore may be able to provide various substances for CD’s research on the digestive power of Drosera (sundew).

Summary

Thanks for proofs of the Supplement to Crag Mollusca. Sends crab apples.

Summary

CD’s discovery of acidity of Drosera secretion is interesting. EF explains how hydrochloric acid can be detected and identified. [See Insectivorous plants, p. 88.]

Summary

Thanks for C. E. Norton’s address.

Tyndall’s answer [Nature 8 (1873): 399] has surprised and disappointed him;

great trouble in announcing Tyndall’s election as President Elect [of BAAS] yesterday. Tyndall may throw up the Presidency. Spottiswoode and JDH have concocted a letter telling him the facts.

A very poor dull meeting. Comments on papers by W. C. Williamson, Clerk Maxwell, David Ferrier, Burdon Sanderson [Rep. BAAS 43: lxx–xci, 23–32,126–7, 131–3].

Has heard Huxley is back quite well.

Summary

Sends CD an account that has the novelty of having a balance against CD.

Summary

EAD sees advantages to Frank’s becoming CD’s assistant.

Summary

Criticises CD’s letter to Nature ["Complemental males in certain cirripedes", Collected papers 2: 177–82].

On the elimination of useless parts.

GHD fails to see the point of CD’s use of the law of distribution about a mean.

Summary

Acknowledges CD’s cheque.

Sends CD cheque for profits on Orchids and a statement of stock on hand of CD’s works [missing].

Origin and Expression sales are stagnant.

Summary

Sends corrections of Descent and Expression.

Summary

The Royal Society referees have rejected HA’s phyllotaxy paper, and it will not be printed in Philosophical Transactions. HA is not sorry for he has found new facts which limit the applicability of his views. Now believes that the original leaf arrangement was not necessarily always two-ranked but rather that existing arrangements have developed from a variety of forms with differing numbers of leaf-ranks.

Summary

Seeks an interview with CD to discuss reorganisation of Gardeners’ Chronicle.