Ɛpsilon

To W. E. Darwin   20 [August 1877]1

Down

20th

My dear W.

The very next time you have good hard rain, (without a very high wind wd. be best) please look at the leaves of your Acacia or Robinia & observe whether the leaflets hang vertically downwards like they do when asleep.—2

Yours affect | C. Darwin

There was a tree at Elizabeth’s & I have just been there & find to my dismay that it has been cut down.—3

1
The month and year are established by the relationship between this letter and CD’s notes on Robinia mentioning William and dated August 1877 (see n. 2, below).
2
CD was studying the movements of leaves in plants of the genera Acacia and Robinia (locust trees). During his visit to William in Southampton from 13 June until 4 July, CD had made observations on two species of Acacia and Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust); the notes, dated 15–16 June 1877, are in DAR 209.12: 13. CD continued to study the effects of water on the movement of leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia and mentioned continuing observations by William in notes dated 5–17 August 1877 (DAR 209.12: 163–4). In a note dated 20 August 1877, written at Abinger, Surrey, CD mentioned William’s earlier observation of water beading on leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia after a shower (DAR 209.12: 165). CD visited Abinger from 20 to 25 August 1877 (see ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
3
CD evidently visited Elizabeth Wedgwood’s house in Down before leaving for his stay at Abinger (see n. 2, above). CD had made observations on 4 April 1874 concerning the depression of leaflets from syringing with water; he had made a note to himself to look at Elizabeth’s tree during heavy rain (notes in DAR 209.12: 162).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 hang] altered from ‘hand’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10755,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10755