"Try only 1 or 2 drops of Formic A[cid]."

Fears all the seeds are dead. Will try with less vapour of formic acid.

Sends FD £5 for the loan of his microscope.

Observations on bees’ biting holes in Lathyrus.

Suggests an experiment FD could carry out with Drosera.

CD is working on Mimosa, and "everything has turned out as perversely as possible".

Pollination and floral structure of Lathyrus. Asks where bees bite through the flowers.

Asks FD to bring any book that gives the affinities of the various earths, alkalis and metals.

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.

Lists observations he would like FD to make on the dried species of Desmodium at Kew.

Wants FD to look at the little lateral leaflets of Desmodium. CD has "a wild hypothesis that the little leaflets may be tendrils reconverted into leaflets".

Information about insects on Pinguicula leaves.

Asks for a specimen of Pinguicula.

Has been examining Utricularia minor. Same essential structure but catches smaller Entomostraca. One bladder had 24, another 20, and another 15 Entomostraca. "What slaughter! We must make out the functions of the beast––".

Asks FD to come early to write from dictation.

Thanks Amy for her drawing of Utricularia montana.

Begs FD’s pardon: his notes on Utricularia amethystina are on same page with those on U. nelumbifolia.

Sends a chapter [of Insectivorous plants]. Never was there anything so dull, but later chapters will be better. Please correct an error on p. 86.

Sends proofs of Variation [2d ed.] for FD to look over.

Asks FD to make out [Hermann] Hoffmann’s conclusions about the fertilisation of Phaseolus multiflorus [in Untersuchungen zur Bestimmung des Werthes von Species und Varietät (1869)].

CD has just had an interview with Edward Frankland, who "almost laughs" at FD’s idea of getting potash and soda out of the soil by treating it with sulphuric acid. Asks FD to send him a soil sample to give to Frankland. Sends enclosures giving address and labels for soil samples.

Expresses his pride in FD, whose article ["On the structure of the snail’s heart", J. Anat. Physiol. 10 (1876): 506–10] was highly praised by G. H. Lewes.

Lewes has also been quoting FD’s letter in Nature [13 (1876): 384–5] on pycrotoxine in relation to the vivisection controversy.

Was introduced to James Sully, author of the article in Mind on Wilhelm Wundt ["Physiological psychology in Germany", 1 (1876): 20–43]

and Sensation and intuition (1874) [see 10320], by "Mrs Lewes" (George Eliot).

Discusses FD’s observations on the protrusion of protoplasmic masses by cells of the teasel. Suggests analogy with amoeba. "I would work at this subject if I were you, to the point of death."