Summary

Reports the balloting [for Henry Parker at the Athenaeum?] went off just right.

Summary

Thanks AHF for his book on ants of Switzerland;

recommends reading Thomas Belt’s Naturalist in Nicaragua [1874].

Summary

Did not know cabbage contained so much nitrogen.

Pinguicula more excited by seeds than Drosera. Asks for information about Pinguicula.

Asks name of weed.

Asks to borrow Utricularia plant.

Summary

CD is deeply pleased by AG’s article on him in Nature [10 (1874): 79–81].

Is preparing book on "Drosera and Co." for the printers. Reports observations on digestion in Drosera and Pinguicula.

Summary

Asks what proportion of leaves of Pinguicula have insects adhering to them. Also, whether seeds of any plants ever adhere to the leaves, and in what situations does P. vulgaris grow.

Summary

On proportion of sexes in litters of greyhounds.

Summary

Thanks for Sarracenia, which is as wonderful as any orchid.

Asks AG to observe Pinguicula.

Has read AG’s semi-theological review [Nation 18 (1874): 348–51] with interest

and has obtained the book [C. Hodge, What is Darwinism? (1874)].

Summary

Thanks JDH for extract on Hedychium pollination; it shows CD’s prior interpretation was incorrect.

Summary

CD has never before seen the Utricularia DN has sent. Hooker had told him about it. Asks that her gardener observe young Utricularia: CD is interested in internal structure of little balls on bladders.

Sends photograph.

Summary

Comments on review of EH’s Anthropogenie [1874].

Mentions recent work of Huxley and other scientists.

Summary

Approves of GHD’s letter [to Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 587–9] and his present plan, which removes all CD’s objections. Will make his own letter to Murray less imperious. "It will be a dreadful evil to me, if … we come to a quarrel."

Summary

Encloses a circular [9384?] to explain the predicament he is in. Asks whether AG can get anyone at the British Museum, other than Owen, to join J. E. Gray in signing.

Believes the account of the Mallotus in American Naturalist [5 (1871): 119] is trustworthy.

Summary

Suggests experiment involving cobra poison on white corpuscles. Thanks for offer of Crotalus poison.

Summary

Writes about AHF’s book on Swiss ants.

Recounts his own observations on ants carrying cocoons.

Summary

Thanks JP for note.

Sends instructions for mailing Utricularia plants to Down in his absence.

Summary

Feels CD’s and Fritz Müller’s judgments on his "Anwendung" essay [see 8313] are of highest value. Mentions some of FM’s comments.

Looks forward to second English edition of Descent.

Summary

Thanks for letter and seeds.

Asks that Hooker return references about plants eating insects.

Discusses Pinguicula.

Summary

Thanks for CD’s favourable opinion of his book [Les fourmis de la Suisse (1874)]. Habits of ants; observations on their carrying empty eggs.

Summary

Hopes a printing of 2000 copies [of Descent, 2d ed.] will be safe. Regrets price must be 12s. He is sure it is much improved.

Summary

Praises JF’s book [Cosmic philosophy (1874)].

Has long wished to understand H. Spencer but is not convinced by him and some others. CD cannot trust deduction from a starting principle, as his mind is so fixed by the inductive method.