Announces intention to hold a private conference with the Archbishop of Canterbury with the aim of encouraging men of science to reaffirm their religious beliefs and also to publish a series of articles in the Contemporary Review on the state of the various sciences.

Requests a list of CD’s trust securities; he and Sara have finished Worms; asks what he should do with dividend warrant.

Has found prehistoric tools in his orchard that he believes have been buried by the action of earthworms.

Points out an error in Earthworms.

Asks SHV about nature of granular matter formed in root cells of Euphorbia peplus which have been placed in solution of ammonium carbonate.

Interested in the fossil scorpions found by AG in the Lower Carboniferous strata of Scotland. Hopes further searches will yield more land animals and offers to subscribe funds to such a search if it falls outside the Geological Survey’s work.

Encloses his review of Earthworms.

On the action of ammonium carbonate on plant cells. "Aggregation" of protoplasm.

Relates some of his observations on the behaviour and activity of earthworms.

Thanks SHV for his letter [13455] in answer to his questions about the action of ammonium carbonate on the root cells of Euphorbia peplus. Suggests further observations.

Has read J. Sachs [Textbook of botany, English translation (1875)] and H. A. De Bary [Vergleichende Anatomie (1877)] on milk-tubes. He believes that tubes he has observed in germinating roots of Euphorbia myrsinites are modified milk tubes. Will send a paper on the subject to the Linnean Society.

Has received Earthworms.

It is impossible to trace the direct connections between stimuli and responses in plant movements. Disagrees with much of Julius von Wiesner [Die Bewegungsvermögen der Pflanzen (1881)]. Disagrees with CD on induced movements and circumnutation.

Praise for Earthworms.

Sends his observations on the behaviour of a worm. They seem to indicate some sensory apparatus enabling it to "see".

Sends CD an abstract of his 1871 paper on the earthworm, and requests information on the phenomenon of luminosity.

Can CD explain why in a mollusc (Bulimus decollatus) immature forms are always broken at the apex.

Describes the soil in which he found prehistoric tools.

Thanks CD for his letter and gives permission to use his observations, although not considering himself a worthy authority. Enlarges upon some of his previous observations.

Cannot explain worm behaviour observed by AEG. Cannot believe in power of vision. Inclined to speculate on capacity for distinguishing damp air.

Comments on two letters received from W. F. P. Pfeffer [13425, 13464] who thinks Julius Wiesner’s view that light, etc. acts directly on plants is wrong.

Is frantic over the number of letters received about worms; feels the enthusiasm of the reception of Earthworms is laughable.

Is confounded by Euphorbia rootlets and has re-examined the effect of carbonate of ammonia.

Has thought of three good experiments to oppose Wiesner.