Summary

Is glad CD approves of his book;

has not yet done any more experiments on snake poison.

Summary

Asks for the specific gravity of common phosphate of ammonia.

Summary

Stupefied by CD’s trouble and kindness. All he wanted for Belfast meeting was assurance that mention of published work on Drosera, etc., in Nature, etc., would not interfere with CD’s book.

Would like his Nepenthes results to go to CD or to Royal Society, but prefers CD take them.

Cephalotus very puzzling.

Peas and cabbage grow twice as fast after two days’ immersion in Nepenthes as when placed in distilled water, but four days’ immersion seems to kill them.

Has a splendid Australian Drosera twice as big as D. rotundifolia.

Summary

Encloses a tracing of a portrait of John Bunyan showing the differences of the two sides of the face.

Summary

JDH should do as he likes with insectivorous plant materials.

He has always thought telling JDH what he has been doing was as good as publishing.

Cephalotus seems as horrid a puzzle as Utricularia.

Nepenthes will turn out a great job if the pitchers of different species act differently. JDH’s paper on Nepenthes [Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 102–16] is too long for CD’s book. Well deserves a place in Philosophical Transactions.

Summary

Asks for a specimen of Pinguicula.

Summary

Arrangements for the visit to Southampton.

Summary

Gives details of the smallest micrococci distinctly discernible under a microscope.

Summary

Encloses a copy of a letter from H. Spencer giving his opinion on GJR’s views on disuse and a draft of GJR’s reply to Spencer.

Summary

Has been examining Utricularia minor. Same essential structure but catches smaller Entomostraca. One bladder had 24, another 20, and another 15 Entomostraca. "What slaughter! We must make out the functions of the beast––".

Summary

Advises GHD to get an eminent counsel. If counsel’s opinion is that the reviewer [Mivart, in "Primitive man", Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 40–77] has falsified GHD’s statements, GHD should send the opinion to the Quarterly Review and demand publication, and if refused publish elsewhere. Then CD must decide whether to cut John Murray [publisher of Q. Rev.] which will put CD in a nice perplexity [over his rights to the stereotyped editions of past works].

Summary

Discusses Utricularia sent by JP.

Summary

Has some Utricularia minor for CD. Has found the bladders on U. vulgaris are not floats.

Thanks CD for book [Descent, 2d ed.].

Summary

Has observed in his garden hive-bees using the holes bored at the base of flowers by humble-bees.

Summary

Thanks JP for note.

Sends instructions for mailing Utricularia plants to Down in his absence.

Summary

Comments on Spencer’s terms.

Summary

After taking advice he has decided to write an explicit denial and short account of his essay and send it to the Quarterly Review.

Summary

Orchids is at last sold out. Settles account.

The Origin [6th ed.] is making good [sales] progress.

Expression is not selling.

Summary

Hasty note to express his most decided opinion that letter [to Q. Rev.] should not give a sketch of GHD’s essay – only an explicit denial "& do not allude to me".

Summary

Comments on bees.

Praises TB’s The naturalist in Nicaragua.