Asks for advice on how to care for previously sent species.

Occurrence of "bloom".

Thanks CD for Forms of flowers. Comments on the chapter on cleistogamic flowers; offers some corrections.

JDH writes to his wife Hyacinth from Boston, where he is staying with the Sargents. Sargent is in charge of the Harvard Botanic Garden & Arnold Arboretum. JDH is often with the Strachey's. JDH describes Boston: including the hot weather, wide streets, large wooden houses in the suburbs, the cleanliness of the city & good public transport. He lists some of the many kinds of trees in Boston: Hickory, American Ash, Elms, Maples, Oaks, Horse Chestnuts, Limes & Poplars. He comments that the working class people have a good standard of living & are generally well mannered & educated. Comments on the high price of food, except fruit, particularly mentions bananas imported in quantity from the West Indies, they do not taste as good as Kew's bananas. Comments on the 'nasal twang' in the Boston accent. Massachusetts has been settled since 1620, JDH thinks it is likely the nicest part of the United States of America. He describes the University, public park, abundance of flags & monuments. Describes a visit to Belvedere on the coast, common plants included: Cypripedia, Vaccinia, Pyrolas & Orchis, roses, brambles & raspberries. Trees are a mix of pines, Hemlock, Juniper, Spruces & deciduous trees & there are many ferns & mosses. Went to Read Hawthorn's house in Salem to see a museum & natural history institute endowed by Peabody. Describes the zoology summer school held there & a similar botany school at Harvard where the teaching is practical as well as lectures. Describes Sargent's dairy, especially the method of controlling temperature. Describes Forest Hills cemetery & the way U.S.A. cemeteries are run. Visited Mr Hunnewell at his property in Wellesley, describes the garden. It is opposite a property given to the state by Mr Durant for a college to educate women as teachers, also described. Strachey received a telegram from Lord Salisbury re. trouble in India. The party next go to Newport, New York, Cincinnati & the state capital of Colorado south of Colorado Springs.

EK may publish a translation [of "Sketch of an infant"] if he wishes, but CD hardly thinks it deserves the honour.

Glad to hear that Kosmos succeeds fairly well; has found several articles interesting.

Thanks GB for corrections to chapter on cleistogamic flowers [Forms of flowers].

Asks for his opinion on "bloom"-producing plants in different climates.

Discusses an experiment.

His dogs appear to have rabies.

Thanks for Forms of flowers.

Alexander Dickson would like to know whether anyone has described the epidermal cells lining the pitcher of Cephalotus.

Answers CD’s query on "bloom".

Thanks for offprints [of "Sketch of an infant", Collected papers 2: 191–200]. Several Germans have asked permission to translate it.

Sends work on dorsal eyes of Onchidium ["Über Schneckenaugen", Arch. Mikrosk. Anat. 14 (1877): 118–24]. Comments on work.

Thanks CD for permission to print ["Sketch of an infant"] in Kosmos.

Discusses children’s ability to distinguish colours.

Describes disagreements among German supporters of CD. Discusses reaction of German protestants to Darwinism.

"Frank and I are working very hard on ""bloom"" and sleep" [movements]. Asks for succulent species for experiment.

No summary available.

Thanks RABL for his book on crocodiles [Fossile Crocodiliden (1877)].

Is forwarding several plants requested by CD.

No summary available.

Thanks for CGS’s work [“Über Schneckenaugen” (1877)].

Thanks him for various plants sent for experiments.

Frank [Darwin] has been feeding Drosera meat to study differences between fed and unfed plants.

Has sent Mimosa. The horticultural and physiological Mimosa is M. albida, which has a western distribution, rather than M. sensitiva as it is commonly called in error.

Queries about cauliflowers.