Has decided to send the letter ["Variation of organs", Nature 8 (1873): 505].
Writes of his poor health and problems of settling in at Trinity.
Mimosa prostrata, described by John Lindley as M. marginata, native of Brazil.
Who supplies CD with distilled water and chemicals?
Thanks CD for copies of his books.
Sends chlorophyll extract [for CD’s work on Drosera digestion].
Requests a piece of the most sensitive litmus paper in order to test the secretions of minute hairs of plants which catch minute flies. [See 9098.]
On CD’s paper ["Complemental males of certain cirripedes", Collected papers 2: 177–82].
Comments on paper by W. H. Dallinger and J. J. Drysdale ["Life history of a Cercomonad", Mon. Microsc. J. 10 (1873): 53–8].
Discusses origin of life, the Gastraea theory and concept that primary germ layers are homologous in all animals. Notes similar views of E. Ray Lankester ["On the primitive cell-layers of the embryo", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. 11 (1873): 321–38].
Reception of Darwinism in Germany.
Thanks AB for his review of Expression [May 1873, in The senses and the intellect, 3d ed. (1874), pp. 697–714]. Admits vagueness of some points. Has never grasped AB’s principle of spontaneity. But, as they look at everything so differently, it is not likely that they should agree closely.
A recent review by T. S. Baynes, [Edinburgh Rev. 137 (1873): 492–528] is "magnificently contemptuous" toward CD and many others.
Has not seen number of Botanical Bulletin with account of Apocynum.
The results of EF’s tests for acids in the secretion of Drosera are largely negative [see Insectivorous plants, p. 88].
Asks for details about microscope parts.
Wants FD to ask Hooker for species of Desmodium; CD believes he has found new movements.
Also ask whether Hooker has Drosophyllum.
Has got a cold, so will not go to Kew. Wrote to Hartnack about price of microscopes and describes own model. Told Hooker about Tisley Spiller’s microscope in Paris.
Asks GHD whether he can tell him what inclination a polished or waxy leaf ought to hold to the horizon in order to let vertical rain rebound off as much as possible.
Finds the negative information sent by EF of great interest [see 9094].
More on his own experiments and the perplexing results when using the sensitive litmus paper.
Sends notes on waxy secretion on leaves for F. M. Balfour; cannot procure any more Dionaea.
On bodies of varying elasticity bouncing off inclined planes [see 9096].
Sends some litmus paper for CD.
Feeding habits of the tobacco worm; it eats only five plants, all very different, but of same botanical family.
Hopes to get another species of Desmodium from Mr Rollisson.
Apologises for his ignorance in interpreting the results secured in his testing with blue litmus paper.
Sends Dionaea plant for experiment involving temperature.
Describes work on Nepenthes – more difficult than Drosera.
Has written to Dublin for a Drosophyllum.
