Sends specimens of Passiflora and seeds for T. H. Farrer [letter enclosed with 7188].
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Sends specimens of Passiflora and seeds for T. H. Farrer [letter enclosed with 7188].
His observations on mimicry in butterflies
and self-sterility in plants.
Crossing experiments and self-sterility [in Eschscholzia].
Pangenesis.
Hermann Müller on insect adaptations for fertilisation of flowers.
CD working on book on man and sexual selection.
Mimicry in Lepidoptera.
Sexual selection.
The Franco-Prussian war.
Discussion of mimicry and sexual selection among butterflies, occasioned by reading Descent.
Opinions on Descent.
Sexual selection and mimicry in Lepidoptera; sexual selection as an aid to protective imitation.
Has no objection to CD’s alluding to FM’s idea that sexual selection has come into play in mimetic butterflies.
Reports observations on other butterflies and on termites.
Seedling vigour resulting from crossing of parents.
CD to publish work on insectivorous plants.
Agrees with Bates that neuter termites are not modified imagos (sterile females), but modified larvae (of both sexes).
Systematic relations of stingless honey-bees (Melipona and Trigona) are not yet well established.
Thanks for two pamphlets.
Sends Thomas Belt’s [The naturalist in Nicaragua (1874)], "the best Nat. Hist. book of travels ever published".
Has sent FM’s letter on termites to Nature ["Habits of various insects", Nature 10 (1874): 102–3].
Would be interested in observations on the stingless bees of Brazil.
FM gives his own observations of leaf-cutting ants, which support those of Thomas Belt in his book [The naturalist in Nicaragua (1873)]. [See 9223.] These ants feed only upon the fungus that grows upon the leaves that they carry to their nests.
He has caught a moth of the Glaucopidæ that when touched emitted a cloud of snow-white wool.
Observations on the stingless bees of Brazil.
Has read CD’s book on Drosera [Insectivorous plants] and found that it presents new material and is very interesting.
Has discovered that the parasites he thought he had found in Melipona nests are in fact true females. It is remarkable that they differ so greatly from the sterile females and males of their species.
"Sambaquis", or shell mounds accumulated by former inhabitants of the coast, contain shells of some animals that FM has never seen living.
Ants that live on imbauba trees (Cecropia) are attracted by small bodies at base of each petiole.
Has sent FM’s letter on to Nature ["Brazil kitchen middens, habits of ants, etc.", Nature 13 (1876): 304–5].
Would be grateful for Ceropegia seeds.
Has received seeds of Cecropia peltata from Kew.
Has asked Hermann Müller to send copy of FM’s paper as soon as published.
FM’s new position in Rio.
CD interested in nature of surface deposits at Rio.
Sends a copy of Cross and self-fertilisation.
Thanks CD for new [2d] edition of Orchids.
Mentions some observations on dimorphic plants.
Reports on a third species of Pontederia [see Forms of flowers, p. 185].
Describes some unusual grasses.
Reports rumours from southern Brazil concerning the existence of a gigantic subterranean animal.
Is printing a book on dimorphic plants [Forms of flowers] in which he will make considerable use of FM’s work.
Requests observations on sensitive Mimosa and movements of plants in rain.
Worm-castings.