Thinks FBG’s idea of a room at the British Museum of domestic birds and animals an excellent one, but a collection of plants would be much more difficult.
Thinks FBG’s idea of a room at the British Museum of domestic birds and animals an excellent one, but a collection of plants would be much more difficult.
Is sorry that CIFM has had to give up translating Expression into Italian.
Sends a letter from William Huggins about a case of inherited fright in three generations of mastiffs. Discusses the different origins of instincts and their inheritance.
Returns family documents about "Kepler" [William Huggins’ dog, see Collected papers 2: 170–1]; there is still some sort of investigation into the "precise mental condition" of "Kepler" and his relatives.
Remarks on the "grief-muscles" shown in a Dürer picture.
Is glad JLGK has been interested in Descent.
Thanks him for his observations on monkey behaviour [see 8698]
and drawings of skulls, which CD has sent to George Busk.
Is drawing up the account of his crossing experiments. Requests JDH to add the families after nine genera, the names of which he encloses. Whenever there is no objection he would like to arrange the families in some sort of natural order.
Recommends Spalding’s article on instinct in Macmillan’s Magazine [27 (1873): 265–81].
Sends copy of Vinzenz Czerny [Beziehungen der Chirurgie (1872)], which applies Darwinian principles to pathology.
Recommends illustrations dealing with expression in the Atlas of K. H. Baumgärtner’s Kranken-Physiognomik [1839].
Thanks for information on worm-castings. Comments on disintegration of castings.
CD would like to know what were the sizes of insects caught by the older leaves of Dionaea.
The editor of a supplement to the New Free Press to be published during the next Vienna Exhibition, asks CD to contribute a few columns on any topic.
Reports that he has the power of moving his left ear towards the top of his head [see Descent 1: 21].
Thanks for gift of first part of AG’s magnificent work [Animaux fossiles du mont Léberon (1873)].
Thanks for a photograph of a donkey and children.
Orders a copy of the St Paul’s Magazine for February.
Delighted with John Traherne Moggridge’s book [Harvesting ants (1873)].
Has suggested he plant seeds in various receptacles. Only two explanations for failure of seeds to germinate [in ants’ nests]: lack of circulating air or formic acid.
Has undertaken a botany primer for Macmillan.
Recommends a language teacher.
Remarks on expression.
Will see whether formic acid delays germination of fresh seeds.
Thinks primer not at all a folly. Refers JDH to Asa Gray’s "child’s book" [see 8363].
Comments on CD’s and William Huggins’ letter in Nature on "Inherited instinct" [Collected papers 2: 170–1]
and on A. R. Wallace’s letter on the homing faculty of animals. Believes many instances of homing are less remarkable than they appear.
CD is asked to increase his shares in the Artizans, Labourers, & General Dwellings Co. Ltd., which has trebled its capital in the last year and is paying a 6% dividend.