With 88 others signs a letter supporting the representation of natives in the legislative assembly of the Union of South Africa.

Writes as a trustee of the Down Friendly Society. Hopes the Society will soon be permitted to distribute its surplus funds, as there is agitation to dissolve the club and divide its assets.

Describes experiments on sensitivity of plant leaves to water.

Frank [Darwin] has found that Drosera leaves fed with meat contain more starch.

No summary available.

Thanks CD for Forms of flowers.

Further objections to "voluntary" sexual selection. Believes that he can explain all the phenomena of sexual ornaments and colours by laws of development aided by simple natural selection.

Excited by Thomas Belt’s "oceanic glacier river-damming" hypothesis. The last paper, "Glacial period in the Southern Hemisphere" in the Quarterly Journal of Science is particularly fine.

Asks for details on CD’s Descent references to female infanticide.

JFM’s work on the laws of incest finds strong evidence for man’s relation to animals.

Reports a fossil fungus, complete with fossil zoospores, within the vascular bundles of a Lepidodendron from the Coal Measures. The genus is Pythium and it appears no different from living species.

List of plants sent.

Is acquiring some "maritime and glaucous" plants for CD.

Comments on paper by Francis Darwin ["Glandular hairs of the common teasel", Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 17 (1877): 169–74, 245–72].

Thanks for the plants.

Is doubtful whether he will make out anything about "bloom".

Having read CD’s article in Mind ["Biographical sketch of an infant", Collected papers 2: 191–200], AHS questions CD about the child’s first attempts at speech, hoping to throw light on the origin of language.

Has examined some sea-kale and iris leaves sent by CD and does not think the scars are caused by fungus but rather through the action of insects. Feels "bloom" may protect leaves from such insect attack.

Sleep movements of Averrhoa bilimbi leaves.

Sleep movements of Averrhoa bilimbi.

Thanks BvC for his letter and will read the references concerning instinct.

"I can see that the discussion of the Philosophy of Evolution is at present very important."

Thinks "mum" comes from shutting the mouth repeatedly as a sign of wanting to eat.

Thanks R. I. Lynch for his MS on Averrhoa.

Writes as a trustee of the Down Friendly Society to ask whether the Bank will act as their agent in withdrawing funds from the National Debt Office.

Comments on Forms of flowers.

Describes his work on fossil plants collected in the Arctic.

Notes work on Ginkgo.