Summary

Is printing a book on dimorphic plants [Forms of flowers] in which he will make considerable use of FM’s work.

Summary

Requests observations on sensitive Mimosa and movements of plants in rain.

Worm-castings.

Summary

Asks for Cassia seed for experiments.

Summary

Sends proboscis of a Sphinx-moth that is 22 cms long.

Discusses eleven species of butterfly which visit Lantana, a plant which blooms only for three days and whose flowers are yellow on the first day, orange on the second, and purple on the third. Most species only visit the flowers when they are yellow.

Describes and draws the odiferous organs of a Sphinx-moth.

Describes a secondary sexual character of several species of Callidryas and other Pierinæ: the costal margin of the anterior wing is sharply serrated in the males, while it is smooth in the females.

Summary

Thanks CD for new [2d] edition of Orchids.

Mentions some observations on dimorphic plants.

Reports on a third species of Pontederia [see Forms of flowers, p. 185].

Describes some unusual grasses.

Reports rumours from southern Brazil concerning the existence of a gigantic subterranean animal.

Summary

Sends letter from Fritz Müller [11191] containing observations on plants and insects of South Brazil, with prefatory comments.

Summary

Doubts that glands of calyx of cleistogamic Malpighiaceae serve as protection.

Some species of Solanum bear long- and short-styled flowers on same plant.

Changing colours of some flowers may show insects the proper moment for fertilisation.

Doubts that the style of Pontederia cordata changes length.

Sexual difference in wings of some butterflies due to development in male of scales that emit odours to excite female.

Summary

Thinks the facts in Fritz Müller’s letter could be published.

Recommends August Weismann’s essay on dimorphism ["Über den Saison-Dimorphismus der Schmetterlinge", Studien zur Descendenz-Theorie 1 (1875)]

and has no doubt that intermediate forms could be eliminated as RM suggests.

Summary

Asks for advice on how to care for previously sent species.

Occurrence of "bloom".

Summary

Comments on WHL’s paper ["Pontederia cordata", Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 6 (1875–9): 62–3]. Cites Fritz Müller’s conclusion that plant is trimorphic. Has WHL made further observations?

Summary

Is doubtful about the publication of Fritz Müller’s letter after so long an interval.

Summary

Interesting article by Fritz Müller on sexual selection in butterflies, Kosmos [1 (1877): 388–95].

Summary

Thanks GB for corrections to chapter on cleistogamic flowers [Forms of flowers].

Asks for his opinion on "bloom"-producing plants in different climates.

Summary

Thanks FM for letter of 22 Feb [not found] on Lepidoptera. Will send it to Entomological Society to be read. FM’s earlier letters produced best discussions of the season.

Thanks for seeds of Viola.

He and Francis [Darwin] are at work on biology of seedling plants and wish to observe how the flowers penetrate the earth.

The Pontederia did not germinate, probably pressed too much [in post].

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].

Summary

References to Fritz Müller’s papers relevant to Weismann’s Studien [in Kosmos (Aug, Sept, and Oct 1877)].

Summary

Thanks for Cross and self-fertilisation.

Fritz Müller has been appointed "Naturalista Viajante" of the Rio de Janeiro Museum, which will help his income greatly.

Summary

Wants a Cassia identified

and several plants and seeds for experimental purposes.

Summary

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

Summary

Comments on the response to Movement in plants, which seems to have been successful.

Is going over revises of Earthworms.

Is investigating further his notion that leaves align themselves in the rain so as to shoot off drops of water.