Perhaps you would like to see a very small “tumour” on a lateral branch of the Silver Fur, caused by an Œstrum, as stated (with references) in my Power of Movement in Plants. These tumours are sometimes almost as big as a child’s head. At what age they emit the upright shoot, I do not know.
Requests G. J. Allman’s address.
Glad CD thinks experiment worth trying [see 12904]. Has written to John Tyndall for permission to do it at Royal Institution.
Paper on echinoderms written [with J. C. Ewart, "Locomotor system of Echinodermata", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 172 (1881): 829–85].
Pleased CD has accepted honorary membership in his academy, La Scuola Italica.
Encloses three "tableaux synoptiques" from a work he intends to dedicate to CD.
[CD’s notes are for his reply.]
Forster cannot help at present. Is sending copies of an enclosure [missing] to Downing Street.
Comments on HV’s Über Organbildung im Pflanzenreich: über Wachstumsursachen und Lebenseinheiten [pt 1, 1878].
Mentions paper by his son [Francis Darwin, "The theory of the growth of cuttings, illustrated by observations on the bramble, Rubus fruticosus", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 18 (1881): 406–19].
Sends his book [Die Meteorite und ihre Organismen (1880)]. Claims to have discovered the beginning of life on earth, which confirms CD’s theory.
Writes on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury to invite CD to a private conference organised in an attempt to reconcile science and religion. [Enclosed is a printed two-page memorial calling for such a conference.]
Will not be able to attend the proposed conference and feels no benefit will arise from it.
Worm-castings from [Roman] ruins at Brading contained bits of tiles or bricks. Obliged for WED’s trouble about Brading castings.
Movement in plants well received in Germany.
Asks GJA to sign memorial [petitioning Government for pension for Wallace].
Asks Flower to sign document [application for pension for Wallace].
John Tyndall has provided apparatus for experiment with light.
Frank [Darwin]’s paper a brilliant success [J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 18: 406–19, 420–55. Read 16 Dec].
Has got a monkey for observation.
Does JT require part or all of £90 that CD holds from subscribers for his experiments?
Comments on papers by Francis Darwin.
Suggests methods for growing seedlings for experiments involving light.
Comments on GJR’s observations on monkey.
On Wallace’s pension and Frank’s F.R.S.
Gives permission to copy figures from Insectivorous plants for article in Encyclopaedia Britannica [by PG, 9th ed., vol. 13, pp. 134–40].
Discusses Prehistoric Europe; establishing the existence of interglacial periods; iceberg vs glacier transport of erratic boulders.
Thanks for his letter and magnificently illustrated book.
Regrets CD is unable to attend proposed conference [see 12918]. Would like his opinion on why it is not desirable.
