Sent rare cycad seeds for CD’s cotyledon study.
Welwitschia seed germinated at Kew had ordinary cotyledons. JDH thinks mature Welwitschia leaves are original cotyledons.
CD and Frank working hard on cotyledonary movement.
CD suggests technique for growing Welwitschia.
Approves of J. D. Dana and of O. Heer.
Mystified by the origin of coal-plants.
Milne’s Glen Roy theory is absurd but, oddly, it has staggered CD in favour of Agassiz’s ice-lake theory.
JDH cannot attend at the bestowal of CD’s honorary doctorate at Cambridge.
O. C. Marsh is rash to suggest all vertebrate types originated in America.
Neptunia seeds germinated by applying great heat. CD wants advice of Kew gardener, R. I. Lynch, on how to proceed.
Printed public oration for CD’s Cambridge doctorate enclosed.
Suggests revisions in JDH’s 1877 Presidential Address to the Royal Society [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. (1877): 427–46].
Difficulty of scheduling visit before JDH departs on Himalayan expedition.
On scheduling farewell meeting.
Continued problems in scheduling farewell meeting.
Asks JDH to read the enclosed Memorial, sign it, and send it to T. H. Huxley.
CD very ill; tries to arrange departure meeting with JDH.
CD’s guess at composition of Maldive flora.
In London and wishes to meet JDH.
Invites CD to Kew.
Now plans to come to Kew for an hour’s farewell if his stomach permits.
Congratulations on JDH’s Flora Antarctica [1847].
CD too unwell to see JDH. Encloses Emma’s farewell note.
Asks opinion of his proposal to Bartholomew Price to translate and publish C. K. Sprengel [Das entdeckte Geheimniss (1793)] and Hermann Müller [Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)] in one volume.
Supports idea to translate C. K. Sprengel, but opposes publishing it together with H. Müller because this would raise price of Müller’s useful book.
Confirms JDH’s observation that only tip of cabbage radicle shows geotropism.
CD solicits JDH’s aid in obtaining Government funds for James Torbitt’s efforts to breed disease resistance in potatoes.
CD again asks JDH to support Torbitt’s project to breed disease-resistant potatoes. He has also sought support of Farrer, Duke of Richmond, and James Caird.
His attempts to obtain a Government grant for Torbitt seem hopeless.
CD is suffering from constant swimming of the head.
