My dear Sir/

I have delayed thanking you for your kind present of “Movements & Habits of Climbing Plants.¹

What patient research & watching! I am more than ever surprised at what you do & can do. I enclose a little sketch of a climbing French bean.² My son³ had sown in his private garden a row of Haricot beans a variety received from France   this is not a climbing bean but in a good season puts forth very slender climbing shoots. He was much amused at what he said was instinct   one of the beans in the row put forth a climbing stem   this was in front of a plum tree nailed to the wall but which had many young shoots protruding from it all of a sudden— he had been looking into your book— he observed the bean incline itself to the N. E. at a sharp angle, & lay hold of the shoot to which it is now attached— the fact is interesting & curious & so I have thought it worthy of communicating to you. I again thank you

I am My D^r Sir | Y^rs. very truly | Th^os. Rivers

I have the peach Almond in fruit this season⁴