Comments on HM’s paper ["Anwendung der Darwin’schen Lehre auf Bienen", Verh. Naturhist. Ver. preuss. Rheinland 29 (1872): 1–96];
sexual selection in bees.
Encloses account on habits of Bombus.
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Comments on HM’s paper ["Anwendung der Darwin’schen Lehre auf Bienen", Verh. Naturhist. Ver. preuss. Rheinland 29 (1872): 1–96];
sexual selection in bees.
Encloses account on habits of Bombus.
Praises Expression.
Reports on Fritz Müller’s observations of cross- and self-fertilisation. HM will cultivate the two forms [i.e., mainly self-fertilised and mainly cross-fertilised] in the way CD has described.
He continues his observation of wild flowers. Encloses drawing of Viola tricolor with notes on its self-fertility.
On HM’s Befruchtung der Blumen [1873].
Comments on Fritz Müller’s article on Hedychium.
Thanks HM for his review [of Forms of flowers, Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 286].
Thinks HM’s previous article was very important [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 128–40]. CD will "heartily rejoice" if HM has explained the steps by which Rhamnus and Valeriana have been rendered dioecious.
Writing on vegetable physiology.
Nothing in CD’s life has ever interested him more than the fertilisation of such plants as Primula and Lythrum.
Has just heard that HM has been treated shamefully by his Government. What has happened?
Enjoyed HM’s castigation of Gaston Bonnier ["Gaston Bonniers angebliche Widerlegung der modernen Blumentheorie", Kosmos 7 (1880): 219–36].
Has heard of flood from which Fritz Müller escaped. Has he lost books, microscope, apparatus? Offers £50 or £100.
Has learned that Fritz Müller is HM’s brother.
Made aware by Asa Gray of error with respect to Cypripedium. Does not doubt it is self-fertilised.
Offers to undertake publication of English translation of Fritz Müller’s Für Darwin. W. S. Dallas will translate it.
Pleased HM says good words for Pangenesis.
Interested that HM is studying structure of insects in relation to flowers.
Comments on HM’s book [Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)]. Particularly glad to read historical sketch and discussion of work of C. K. Sprengel.
Further comments on HM’s [Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)].
Thanks for Insectivorous plants.
Believes Lepidoptera are of greater importance as fertilisers in alpine regions than in lowlands.
The famous stone pits of Ohningen are for sale.
Is glad CD is working on cross- and self-fertilisation; reports recent works of botanists, notably Thomas Meehan’s ["Are insects any material aid to plants in fertilisation?", Philadelphia Press 13 Aug 1875], in which the importance of cross-fertilisation is denied.
Observations on hive- and humble-bees. Perforating habits differ in different individuals of the same species.
Bombus mastrucatus, an alpine bee, conforms to his observations that B. terrestris breaks open the flowers of Trifolium pratense. However, in the Alps, B. terrestris does not behave this way.
Gentiana species are adapted to lepidopteran cross-fertilisation.