Lists plants in which he is interested, including Neptunia and Mimosa species.
Do any strictly tropical plants have glaucous leaves?
Asks for observations on irritable plants.
Neptunia is evidently a hopeless case.
Good news that fluid of Nepenthes is acid.
No discovery ever gave him more pleasure than proving a true act of digestion in Drosera.
Has become profoundly interested in Desmodium. Asks whether Frank [Darwin] can look over the whole dried collection of the genus.
Has JDH any seed of Lathyrus nissolia?
Suggests experiments to try [with Nepenthes].
Asks JDH to test whether cabbage seeds and peas exposed to the ferment germinate.
Cancel: same as 9523.
Extremely glad to hear of the aggregation in Nepenthes glands. Advises on experimenting with cubes of albumen – gives sizes, also suggests cubes of roast meat. Thanks for analyses of secretion of Nepenthes.
Asks for cutting of Acacia farnesiana.
Longs to examine a species of Desmodium with three leaflets. Has asked Frank [Darwin] to look for species of Desmodium with tendrils.
Thanks for leaves. His notes on them will be of greatest service.
He cannot distinguish some Eucalypti from Acacia. Sends specimens, with numbers, for JDH to name.
Acacia farnesiana branches arrived withered, but saw enough to make him wish to examine the plant.
Has thought of some troublesome experiments for Drosophyllum.
Encloses remarks [missing] by Searles Wood, with which CD disagrees, about a new and strongly marked variety transmitting its characters.
The competition of better adapted forms seems to CD a sufficient explanation [for extinction].
On Nepenthes.
Asks JDH, if he publishes, to mention CD’s work on digestive powers of Drosera so that charges of plagiarism will not be made against CD later when he publishes.
Describes at length his observations on the movements of Desmodium.
Discusses experiments and observations on pitchers [of Nepenthes]. Suggests procedures for JDH to follow.
Any plant of any family with a terminal or with any lateral leaflets greatly reduced would be interesting to CD for studying spontaneous movements.
Has not received Eucalyptus or Acacia plants from Rollisson.
Suggests experiment and observations to carry out on pitcher [of Nepenthes].
Is coming to stay in London and wants to arrange a visit to Kew to talk with JDH, see the Eucalypti, and observe Mimosa albida.
Returned from visit.
Thinks several species of Eucalyptus would be worth experimenting on. Sends list.Mimosa albida would be worth its weight in diamonds. Neptunia worth more than diamonds.
Has been working hard on Mimosa albida. Could JDH ever make its opposite leaflets shut up close, as in sleep, when he irritated them? CD doubts they do, except in sleep. Thinks movement a protection against water.
Has examined only one specimen of Eucalyptus.
Cannot believe JDH’s results from cutting a hole in pitcher in his Nepenthes experiment.
His indignation at the malignant, odious, hypocrite Owen’s attack on JDH. History of Secretaryship [of Royal Society in Nature 9 (1873): 129–30] was best answer to Owen.
Is hard at work on new edition of Descent – a truly awful job.
No use going on with experiments on effects of water on bloom-divested leaves. May have erred. Or it may be that water is only injurious when there is a good supply of actinic rays. Will wait until spring.
