Darwin Correspondence Project

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

March 24th

My dear Gray

I thank you much for the 2 seeds of Megarrhiza: I hope that they may germinate for I shd. very much like to see a longitudinal section & the proportion of the parts, when the (apparent) root is only 12 or 13 of inch out of the seed-coats.

You must not suppose that what is obvious to you is so to me; for as the confluent petioles of the Cots. of the Delphinium are not tubular at first, I was astonished to see the young leaves coming out of a hole or slit at their base.

Very many thanks for all your information about the Megarrhiza, the germination of which has interested me greatly.—

I was much amused by your little article on the Philadelphia lawyer. You are a first-rate hand in touching up a fool.— The lawyer is a cool man in trying to make me out a rogue; but this seems the fashion & according to Mr S. Butler in the Athenæum I am a rogue of the deepest dye, because I forgot to state that Dr Krause had altered his article on Erasmus Darwin before sending it to England for translation.

Ever yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin