Summary

Reply to CD’s letter in Nature ["Flowers of the primrose", Collected papers 2: 183–4]. She has a canary that eats primroses.

Summary

Encloses notes concerning his life and list of publications.

Returns the letters about primroses: they contain little that is new. Dr Bree’s is the best.

Summary

Feels CD’s and Fritz Müller’s judgments on his "Anwendung" essay [see 8313] are of highest value. Mentions some of FM’s comments.

Looks forward to second English edition of Descent.

Summary

Bullfinches’ instinctive capacity for removing nectaries from cowslips.

Summary

Thanks GJR for his letter, regrets pressure of other work prevents his giving GJR’s remarks the attention they deserve. GJR makes clearer how an organ that has started to decrease will go on decreasing.

Summary

Reports seeing flowers of wild cherry bitten off in same manner as primroses [see 9418 and 9444]. In this case it was done by a squirrel, though birds also bite the flowers of the cherry-tree.

Summary

Thanks Nature correspondents for their observations on destruction of primroses [Nature 9 (1874): 509; 10 (1874): 6–7]. Reports an error in his observations: ovules, as well as nectar, are taken by the birds. As the habit of cutting off primrose flowers is widespread, CD concludes it is instinctive in bullfinches.

Summary

CD has just had an interview with Edward Frankland, who "almost laughs" at FD’s idea of getting potash and soda out of the soil by treating it with sulphuric acid. Asks FD to send him a soil sample to give to Frankland. Sends enclosures giving address and labels for soil samples.

Summary

Variation in bullfinches’ instinctive ability to remove nectaries and ovaries from cowslips.

Summary

Sends cherry blossoms damaged by birds in response to CD’s letter in Nature ["Flowers of the primrose", Collected papers 2: 183–4].

Summary

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.

Summary

Thanks CD for subsidence references in response to HHH’s Nature paper ["The distribution of volcanoes", 9 (1874): 141–2].

Hopes to refer to CD’s having previously suggested the corresponding elevation of continents and sinking of the larger oceans in his next letter to Nature [9 (1874): 201–2]. Occurrence of volcanoes at boundary between rising and sinking lands reconciles his views with CD’s.

Summary

Writes of his article in Nature. Corrects some errors that have appeared in the published version.

Summary

Requests sewage water (and oleic acid) for experiments to determine sensitivity of leaves [of Drosera].

Summary

Thanks for Sarracenia, which is as wonderful as any orchid.

Asks AG to observe Pinguicula.

Has read AG’s semi-theological review [Nation 18 (1874): 348–51] with interest

and has obtained the book [C. Hodge, What is Darwinism? (1874)].

Summary

Sends his observation of honey-bees gleaning after orioles had made holes in calyx of Missouri currant, while humble-bees were getting honey through the tube in the usual way.

Summary

Thanks WED for his botanical specimens and observations.

Discusses Corydalis and the fertilisation of Fumariaceae.

Summary

Returns proofs; has no criticisms or remarks worth sending.

Summary

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.

Summary

He is proposing [John Wesley] Judd for FRS and asks for CD’s support.