Describes floral anatomy of a Catasetum sent by DO.
Has gone on from orchids to studying insect agency in Pelargonium.
His doubts on the worth of publishing Orchids.
Showing 21–40 of 91 items
Describes floral anatomy of a Catasetum sent by DO.
Has gone on from orchids to studying insect agency in Pelargonium.
His doubts on the worth of publishing Orchids.
Received five copies of JH's Cape Results. Will forward them to designated institutions in India.
Oliver has written able paper on dimorphism for Natural History Review [n.s. 2 (1862): 235–43].
CD’s account of Viola is novel and interesting.
Has finished Cameroon mountain plants.
Jury work at exhibition.
Domestic problems – wife is ill, no cook, etc.
Has just received the Stroud Journal and TP's letter. Thinks it a fair and proper thing that TP has done. His own letter had no sinister insinuation.
Asks whether any correspondents have observed any sensible differences between the bees kept in different parts of Great Britain. CD has heard from several sources that breeds of bee in different areas vary.
Thanks AG for praise of Orchids and his notes on several American species of orchid. Comments on AG’s observations.
Is experimenting [on dimorphism] with Rhexia and Melastoma.
Asks AG’s opinion of a paper by Thomas Meehan ["On the uniformity of relative characters between allied species of European and American trees", Proc. Philadelphia Acad. Nat. Sci. (1862): 10–13] which is the best case of the apparently direct action of the conditions of life CD has seen.
Requests postage stamp for his ill son [Leonard].
Thanks AG for observations on Cypripedium and gives recent observations of his own.
Arethusa is very pretty; structure seems like that of Vanilla.
Finds the little (so-called imperfect) flowers of Viola and Oxalis curious: the pollen-grains emit their tubes whilst within the anthers, and they travel in straight lines right to the stigmas.
Sympathises with events in the U. S.
Reports on French translation of Origin by Mlle C. Royer, "one of the cleverest & oddest women in Europe".
Alphonse de Candolle says he wants direct proof of natural selection; "he will have to wait a long time for that".
Asa Gray approves of Orchids; his work on American species confirms CD’s findings.
Encloses a question [missing] concerning language [from Hensleigh Wedgwood].
Sorry to hear of Mrs Hooker’s health and domestic problems. Wishes natural selection had produced neuters who would not flirt or marry.
Will be eager to hear Cameroon results.
Wishes JDH would discuss the "mundane glacial period". Still believes it will be "the turning point of all recent geographical distribution".
Pollen placed for 65 hours on apparent (CD still thinks real) stigma of Leschenaultia has not protruded a vestige of a tube.
"Oliver the omniscient" has produced an article in Botanische Zeitung with accurate account of all CD saw in Viola.
Asa Gray’s "red-hot" praise of Orchids [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 138–51].
Offers rare Irish orchid (Spiranthes).
Leonard Darwin has scarlet fever so GHD has said he should be sent home and has asked E. A. Williams to call at Down.
Checking the accuracy of a writer's expression of JH's views.
No summary available.
Has read the Origin several times. His position is like Asa Gray’s: he wishes to believe in descent, but proofs of natural selection are lacking.
Looks forward to CD’s promised large book.
Thanks for Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]. Did CD sow the seeds of his crosses? One would like to know whether the two forms reappear at random.
Leonard has scarlet fever; CD is sorry WED is unwell.
Sorry he did not meet CD in London.
Discusses investment in land as compared with railway shares.
Sends condolences on death of LH’s wife. Recalls many pleasant hours in Bedford Place. He and Emma thank LH for sending the memorial paper.
It would be a pleasure to see "the first enunciator of the theory of Natural Selection" but his health makes it impossible. Hopes to come to London soon and would like to arrange an interview with PM if he is staying more than a week.
CD orders electrotypes for German edition of Orchids.
Asa Gray doubts an American publication is possible but will review it in Sillimans Journal.
[British] botanists have praised it. Other reviews.
Sends answer to Wedgwood’s query
and is sorry to hear CD is again unwell.
His book is progressing very slowly.
Asks that CD not make use of any of the facts about generative organs in beetles for he finds "such a chaos of statements" that facts are not to be depended upon.