Writes concerning the land he wishes to purchase from Sir John Lubbock.
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Writes concerning the land he wishes to purchase from Sir John Lubbock.
Has been waiting several months for a microscope objective and would like it without delay.
Asks CD to read and comment, for publication, on his forthcoming essay in Index on the evolution of conscience and morals through action and reaction between man and the moral environment.
The row at the Linnean Society and other troubles.
The Agricultural Society has sent Anton De Bary £100 to investigate the potato disease – an insult to M. J. Berkeley, who had worked on it for 30 years.
On digestive powers of Drosera and those of higher animals.
Comments on expression on two halves of human face.
Responds to TLB’s views of serpent- and fire-worship.
Poison of venomous snakes.
CD guessed Carruthers was stirred up by Owen. Disgraceful treatment of Bentham.
Work on Descent and Coral reefs stops his doing anything of real interest.
Asa Gray’s letter. CD has acknowledged the honour [honorary membership in the Boston Soc. Nat. Hist.].
"What a demon on earth Owen is. I do hate him."
Has heard from Dohrn about his financial problems. Asks CD’s advice on what to do.
THH’s article in Contemporary Review ["Universities: actual and ideal" (1874), Collected essays, vol. 3 (1894)].
Sends abstract of Martin Ziegler’s paper on sensitive movements in Drosera ["Sur un fait physiologique observé sur des feuilles de Drosera", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 74 (1872): 1227–9].
JTM’s experiments with formic acid and ants have failed to reveal the secret of the ants, but have taught him a great deal about germination.
Writes on the possible origin of serpent-worship.
Is glad CD does not think his view regarding the two sides of the face is erroneous.
Asks AN to vote for CD’s nephew, Henry Parker, at the Athenaeum.
Asks JT to support his nephew, Henry Parker, for election to the Athenaeum.
Criticises paper by Ziegler [see 9339].
Acid experiments on seeds have failed.
Questions correctness of two statements in Origin: 1. That fulmar petrels are the most numerous birds in the world;
2. That the increase of one form of thrush in Scotland has been concomitant with the decline of another form.
Sends photograph.
Comments on Mme P’s bulldogs.
Sends copy of his book [Der Darwinismus und die Naturforschung Newtons und Cuviers, vol. 1 (1874)]. Expresses respect for CD in spite of the book’s criticism of him.
Promises answers to CD queries on dogs.
Enclosure 1: G. A. Graham responds to CD’s questions (transmitted by GC) on greyhound breeding and proportion of sexes reared.
Enclosure 2: J. W. Robertson’s general rule has been to preserve male deerhound puppies in preference to females.
Enclosure 3: Proportion of sexes in dog litters [for Descent, 2d ed.] from W. Forbes.
Cannot answer AN’s questions about Origin; it would take weeks to find the references. Assures AN he stated nothing without an authority he thought good.
Feels sure missel thrushes have increased in number since his youth. Starlings have also increased astonishingly in Kent. "How inexplicable most of these cases are".
In a P.S. remembers his source for statement about increase of missel thrushes in Origin.
Sends report on an infant with congenital heart disease who died at ten months. Post-mortem showed it had the "heart of a fish": two cavities, one auricle and one ventricle.
Has rewritten paper on leaf arrangement after criticism by Royal Society referees. Has found new factor influencing leaf arrangement, i.e., spontaneous variability in the number of vertical leaf-ranks.
Wishes CD could publish Origin with footnotes.
Increases in bird populations: starlings are increasing, but AN cannot give reason; mistletoe-thrush increasing but not ousting song-thrush. Doubts trustworthiness of [George?] Edwards, CD’s authority in Origin on this matter [see Origin, 6th ed., p. 59].
AN opposed to bird protection legislation to prohibit egging. Argues egging does not decrease number of birds.