Sends CD passages from A. S. Taylor’s book [On poisons in relation to medical jurisprudence and medicine, 2d ed. (1859)], citing smallest portions of poisons that are chemically detectable. "Drosera beats the chemists hollow."
Showing 1–20 of 30 items
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.
Sends CD passages from A. S. Taylor’s book [On poisons in relation to medical jurisprudence and medicine, 2d ed. (1859)], citing smallest portions of poisons that are chemically detectable. "Drosera beats the chemists hollow."
Extracts from botanical literature dealing with Dionaea, intercrossing, and sensitivity. [Bot. Ztg. (1833): 96; Thomas Nuttall, Genera of N. American plants (1818)].
Answers to queries on expression with respect to Fuegians.
Delighted to try experiments on Drosera spathulata.
Obliged for note of 16th.
Failed to enclose letter from Hofmann.
Will be glad to read A. S. Taylor’s work [On poisons in relation to medical jurisprudence and medicine, 2d ed. (1859)].
Daughter Henrietta still weak.
Does not remember his criticisms of CD’s theory. Can CD locate them in book?
Criticises analogy between knowledge of electricity and knowledge of origin of life.
Explains A. E. Brehm’s concept of subspecies. Discusses subspecies of Certhia.
CD would have carried the public more if he had explained adaptations by multiple causes, some unknown and some well known, i.e., natural selection.
Discusses Hooker’s views of extinction on St Helena.
Work on antiquity of man suspended.
Stopped by 11th edition of Principles of geology [1872].
A poser: carbonate of soda produces inflection rather than contraction in Drosera. Possible solution: glands at end of hairs absorb as well as secrete. Fascinated by currents in cells after inflection.
Thanks CD for his patience and good-nature; does not want a controversial correspondence but wishes to reply to matters in CD’s letter, and does.
Observations of Brunonia and a case of a malvaceous flower, which never opened and was self-fertilised.
Sends further details on the movement of the red fluid substance in Drosera. Will write a paper on it.
"Dr [C. R.] Bree ""pitches"" into me handsomely."
Requests DO apply carbonate of ammonia to sensitive hair of Dionaea and measure reaction time. Wants to compare Drosera and Dionaea.
Has not himself experimented with delicacy of tests but sends several illustrations of what other authorities have done. Reference to James Marsh’s test for arsenic and that of Ashley Paston Price for iodine.
Has examined nearly all British orchids.
Hooker’s error on Listera.
Change in colour and consistency of Drosera hair glands after leaf inflection. Analogous structures in Dionaea. Requests Oliver confirm these observations on live plants, of which he has none.
In a muddle over the effects of salts on insectivorous plants.
Discusses letter from A. W. v. Hofmann concerning solution of iodine in water.
Comments on Rodwell’s discussion of the “struggle for life” with reference to languages and G. H. Lewes’s article in the Cornhill Magazine (Lewes 1860, pp. 445–7). Comments on Rodwell’s account of horses affected by mildewed pasturage, and asks for more information about his white cat.
Thanks for information and extracts.
M. A. Curtis, quoted in ["Dionaea"] Penny encyclopedia [(1837) 8: 508], gives the only full account of Dionaea.
Concurs in DO’s explanation of Dionaea footstalk cells, which CD took for stomata.
Is using carbonate of ammonia as a substitute for flies and colour change in glands as index of action on Drosera. Suspects other nitrogenous compounds do not act till decomposed into carbonate of ammonia. Beginning to write Drosera paper. Action of nitrogenous compounds.
The best way to see cell movement in Drosera hair, is to cut off those lately inflected over a fly, sketch shape of red matter under high power, and repeat after one or two minutes.
Sends an account of the destruction of wild rabbits by rats introduced from a wrecked ship.
Will take Natural History Review, but cannot write for it.
Has mass of notes on irritability in orchids,
but he ought to work on Variation.
Drosera was an interlude while away from home. Expectations for effect of carbonate of ammonia on Dionaea. The important phenomenon in Drosera is the segregation of the red fluid within the leaf, not action of carbonate of ammonia on the red fluid.