Supports Torbitt. Keenly aware of danger of growing crops from a single variety. Torbitt’s paper to Belfast BAAS meeting ["On the potato-disease", Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 134] was sat upon.
Supports Torbitt. Keenly aware of danger of growing crops from a single variety. Torbitt’s paper to Belfast BAAS meeting ["On the potato-disease", Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 134] was sat upon.
Sends JDH a letter he has written supporting James Torbitt’s potato trials.
Has written to Farrer in support of Torbitt’s grant.
Resistance of Liberian coffee to "fly" and susceptibility to fungus.
Has been consulting with Mrs Lyell about the possibility of publishing Lyell’s letters. Asks CD’s opinion on the matter.
CD and Frank think they have proved that function of plant sleep is to protect leaves from injury by chilling radiation. Requests plants for experiment to determine whether underside of leaf is hardier than upper.
Studying geotropism.
Experiments using exposure to frost to study nyctitropism are difficult to perform because species vary in frost tolerance.
JDH’s scheme for lowering F.R.S. fees by creating a fund through membership subscription.
Though correspondence has never ebbed so low, CD is constantly in his thoughts.
Observations on cheetahs used as domesticated hunting animals.
Finds geographical barriers sometimes separate species, but also finds species that remain separate where there are no barriers to migration.
Colour "individuates" isolated animal species.
Plains and alpine animal distribution show altitude not strictly analogous to latitude.
Impact of timber cutting on climate has led to extinction of crocodiles.
Will discuss coal formation in letter to Edward Forbes.
CD often asked whether isolated mountains in southern latitudes had closely allied representatives of Arctic and north temperate plants; JDH has found a representative barberry.
Making for Darjeeling via Calcutta.
JDH may put CD’s name down for £200 for the proposed fund.
Does JDH have a plant of Porlieria hygrometrica he could lend to CD?
JDH details the subscription fund’s finances.
Has finished lecture for Royal Society on N. American plant distribution.
CD contributes £200 to JDH’s Royal Society fund.
Burdened with Anniversary Address to the Royal Society.
Quips that even Huxley is running out of speeches.
Wants Oxalis specimen named; is fascinated by cotyledonary movements of the genus.
Frank asked to summarise work with CD for use in JDH’s Royal Society address.
Work with A. Gray shows Colorado plants closer to Altai than to E. or W. America.
Work with J. Ball shows Moroccan plants very distinct from nearby Canaries.
JDH on Royal Commission to Paris Exhibition.
Before JDH discusses flora of Canary Islands CD suggests he read F. B. White’s paper [see 11707], which explains stocking of Atlantic island fauna as due to changed currents during [last, or Miocene] northern glacial period.
Botanical evidence is against F. B. White’s origin of St Helena fauna. JDH holds flora is S. African. Since plants must arrive before insects, if fauna is Palearctic then flora survived glacial period. Flora not Miocene since old and relic orders are absent. Suggests S. African west coastal mountains as insects’ origin.
Confident of species theory as result of applying it to cirripede sexual systems.
CD’s opinion of E. Blyth. JDH should meet Blyth, inquire about domesticated varieties, study insular flora, solve coal-plant problem.
Thanks for JDH’s description of CD’s work in Nature.
Anthony Rich to bequeath his property (over £1100 a year) to CD.
Congratulates CD on the Anthony Rich bequest.
Sad but relieved to retire as President of the Royal Society.
Describes battle with Treasury over use of an empty house at Kew.
Waiting for frost to go so experiments can start again.