My dear Dyer.

I am particularly obliged for your letter, though I can assure you that I had no intention whatever of asking you to write.—¹ What you say about Heliotropism is very satisfactory to me, & very different from the impression which I received (perhaps falsely) from the Report.² It shows how Heliotropism may have originated. I find that if respiration is stopped by thick layer of blackened greasy matter along one side of stem, the opposite side goes on growing & a curvature follows directed towards the blackened side like that from Heliotropism.— But I am sure that there is much yet to make out by Heliotropism.— One part of stem when shut off from light acts on or transmits an effect to other & distant parts.

I will soon return several plants to Kew, but must first observe one little point.

Do you care to have at Kew Drosera Whittakerii:³ it is finely in flower with me, & I do not want the plants? If you do wish for it, send me a Post-card: if I do not hear, I shall understand you do not want them.

Would it be possible to send me 2 or 3 corms of Colchicum autumnale; I want to see how flowers break through the soil.—⁴

I noticed hurriedly in Athenæum & hope to see further notice in “Nature”, that M^r Lynch has described some plant (name forgotten) which has one cotyledon rudimentary:⁵ I have lately been observing a strictly analogous case & there are 2 or 3 points which I sh^d like to see in M^r. Lynch’s plant,—if by any chance you have any seeds left; but I sh^d require to know what heat to subject them to.—

Ever yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Lo & behold, I believe one of my Cycas seeds is trying to germinate!⁶

(Your letter to Frank has been forwarded | He returns on or about the 23^d.)⁷