JDH has sent a short-styled Forsythia from Kew. CD surmises that all Forsythia at Kew may be short-styled, hence he is curious to know whether they set seed.
Health permitting, proposes to visit Kew on Friday.
Health bad, cannot get to Kew.
Will send Nulliporae to [L. A.?] Reeve.
JDH’s proposed India trip.
Will sorely miss discussions with JDH on species theory.
CD is getting on wretchedly with cirripedes.
Must look after his wife, so is unable to come to visit.
CD notes growth of Royal Society may force it to hire officers.
Speculates on cold resistance of bacterial germs.
Will communicate to Royal Society Frank’s paper on the ingestion of solid particles by the protoplasmic protrusions of Dipsacus glands.
CD working on plant dimorphism.
CD thinks A. Günther’s tortoises are relics of closely allied forms, once widely distributed. Expressed this view to AG a few months ago. Cannot explain their restriction to volcanic islands.
Thanks for H. C. Watson’s interesting letter. Disagrees with him on intermediate varieties.
CD has read latest numbers of JDH’s The botany of the Antarctic voyage [pt I, Flora Antarctica (1844–7)]; notes several sentences against "us Transmutationists".
Delighted that Brongniart thinks Sigillaria aquatic, and that E. W. Binney thinks coal is a sort of submarine peat. Thinks coal-plants will prove to be aquatic, though JDH will sneer at this.
Has acquired a new microscope.
CD defends his position on submarine coal formation and coal-plants against JDH’s strong objections.
Thinks JDH should arrange his facts against the aquatic formation of coal.
CD counters Thiselton-Dyer’s objection to protoplasmic filaments of Dipsacus protruding beyond cell-wall, as Frank’s paper claims, by citing white "blood cells passing through vessels".
Has received Moseley’s collection of photographs.
CD would like to call on JDH.
CD apologises for his burdensome request of Oliver.
Criticises JDH’s notice on Forsythia, which JDH said was dioecious. Forsythia sent to CD from Kew was heterostylous.
Will call on JDH on Thursday, if convenient.
Has heard JDH does not return until tomorrow, so will not be able to see him at Kew but hopes to do so at Oxford meeting of BAAS.
Bunbury and Falconer strongly against idea of coal being submarine.
CD regrets not being able to see JDH.
Encloses quasi-hybrid Laburnum.
Suggests a new view of symmetry of flowers.
Will discuss coal and species sketch at Oxford [BAAS meeting (1847)].
Gives further details on peculiar Laburnum.
Can JDH lend him a full treatise on grafting?
Encloses another specimen of the "bilateral" Laburnum flower.
