Uncle Erasmus is ill.
Thanks WED for his trouble about the cottages.
He has signed the note to Higgins.
CD has used WED’s Rhododendron case in Earthworms [p. 69].
Is using paper triangles in experiments on intelligence of worms.
Queries account for book "Fauna Neapol. II"
Thanks for honour conferred upon him by the Otago Institute.
Acknowledges with thanks the honour conferred by the Entomological Club of New York in electing CD an honorary member.
Summarises the "remarkable facts about the movements of plants" in Fritz Müller’s letter of January [12996]. CD comments that Müller’s observations support the conclusion that he and Francis Darwin arrived at – that leaves go to sleep to escape the full effects of radiation.
AD exaggerates what CD has done for science.
On the Zoological Yearbook, CD thinks it would be an excellent plan to give an account of zoological publications from all countries in a single work.
The laboratory has scarcely any experimental evidence on acidity of humus soil and earthworm excreta. Refers CD to some sources of information.
CD interested by FM’s facts on movement of plants; has sent some to Nature ["Movement of leaves", Collected papers 2: 228–9]. Greatly admires FM’s work. Suggests an experiment to investigate movement in Phyllanthus.
Discusses acidity of earthworm castings. JHG’s reply will make him more cautious.
Would like to see W. A. Detmer’s paper [Landwirtsch. Versuchs-Stat. 14 (1871): 248–300] and S. W. Johnson’s work [How crops feed].
Comments on food value of white and brown bread.
Island life continues to stimulate: Wallace ignores effects of glaciers on alpine flora and generally exaggerates those of débâcles and wind dispersal. CD encourages JDH to prepare a geographical address including history of geographical distribution.
Describes lecture at Royal Institution by J. S. Burdon Sanderson on movement of plants and animals; JSBS’s preliminary part was so long that he never got to the plants.
Comments on the triumph of the ladies in the voting at Cambridge.
Mentions F. Galton’s visit to Down, a call on the Huxleys, and a visit with the Duke of Argyll.
Tells a story about the absent-mindedness of Burdon Sanderson.
In his last letter FM told CD about four flowers of Lagerstroemia that he had fertilised with the yellow pollen of another variety or species and which had subsequently fallen off. He has now repeated the experiment using the yellow pollen of a different variety and successfully produced good fruit as large as that fertilised with green pollen.
Wishes the society and its publications every success.
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JDH sends birthday wishes to Brian Houghton Hodgson, who is his only remaining 'Indian Chum' now that Colvile is dead. JDH reports on the illnesses of [Sir Wiliam Turner] Thiselton-Dyer. JDH & his wife Hyacinth plan to go away with the Grays at the end of Feb. Gives his opinion of his father in law, [Reverend William Samuel] Symonds' novel: MALVERN CHASE, & also of [John Keat's] Endymion.
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