Showing 101–120 of 254 items
It would be a pleasure to see "the first enunciator of the theory of Natural Selection" but his health makes it impossible. Hopes to come to London soon and would like to arrange an interview with PM if he is staying more than a week.
Leonard has scarlet fever; CD is sorry WED is unwell.
CD orders electrotypes for German edition of Orchids.
Asa Gray doubts an American publication is possible but will review it in Sillimans Journal.
[British] botanists have praised it. Other reviews.
Refers to his Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Asks GHKT to investigate a similar case in Cinchona.
Is pleased that AdeC is interested in the Primula case ["Dimorphic condition of Primula", Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Is pursuing analogous experiments on other plants and on seedlings raised from the unions.
CD’s "large work" progresses slowly owing to ill health and his work on Orchids.
CD is not surprised that AdeC is unwilling to admit natural selection – "the subject hardly admits of direct proof or evidence. It will be believed in only by those who think that it connects & partly explains several large classes of facts".
Hopes AdeC will publish on Quercus
and rejoices that he intends to return to the study of geographical distribution. No one can claim to have read AdeC’s truly great work on that subject [Géographie botanique (1855)] with more care than CD.
Superb, but exaggerated, review [of Orchids, by M. J. Berkeley] in London Review [& wkly J. Polit. 4 (1862): 553–4]. Asa Gray thinks almost as highly. "I have not been a fool, as I thought I was, to publish." The Athenæum review will hinder sales greatly.
Asks experienced observers whether there are any marked differences between bees kept in different parts of Germany.
Testimonial in support of WBT’s application for curatorship of the Hartley Institution.
Asks for information concerning heterostyled and dioecious plants.
It is not certain cuts are wanted by an American publisher [of Orchids].
Has fixed price of £10 for Schweizerbart [Stuttgart publisher].
His friend Trenham Reeks [Secretary of Museum of Practical Geology] would give Carlyle information and help. This note will serve as introduction.
Has been ill (violent skin inflammation).
Has done hardly anything except tend to his experiments. Repeating Primula work has verified former results and very curious facts on sterility of homomorphic seedlings.
Wonders who reviewed Orchids for London Review & Wkly J. Polit..
Asa Gray also infatuated with Orchids.
"I have received a letter from Dr. Asa Gray this morning who says ""pray ask Mr. Trubner to send at once 1/2 dozen copies of the Orchid book"". Will you be so good as to attend to it."
Orders paper suitable for drying plants.
Remembers JDH’s encouragement when he was "utterly weary of life".
Marvellous about European forms in Fernando Po.
C. V. Naudin will publish a book on hybridity ["Nouvelles recherches sur l’hybridité dans les végétaux", Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 1 (1865): 25–176; part also in Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) (1863)].
CD fears Naudin has underestimated distribution of pollen by insects.
Melastomatous plants are ready for his work on meaning of two sets of anthers.
Very curious about Masdevallia.
George [Darwin] observing orchids.
Adaptation of Herminium beats almost every other orchid.
Encloses answers and corrections [concerning Orchids]. Thanks HGB for translating it.
Discusses dimorphic plants, valerian and Erythraea. Would like to look at them; suggests WED draw up a paper on them.
Apologises for the trouble he has caused over his enquiries about strawberries. Describes the problems he and Emma have had with Verbascum.
Thanks for notes on Cypripedium and Platanthera hookeri, which is really beautiful and quite a new case.
His son, George, has been observing the insect fertilisation of orchids.
CD has been crossing peloric flowers of Pelargonium, but doubts he will get good results with respect to sterility of hybrids.
Rhexia glandulosa does not appear to be dimorphic. Lythrum is trimorphic.
Thinks GM’s Pelargonium is a case of true correlated characters. Feels secondary sexual characters are only accidental correlations; does not see the same necessity for close simultaneous development of certain characters as GM does.
Will forward a copy of his Orchids.