My Dear Sir

You wrote to me last year acknowledging the photo—of my friend Prof. Cope, and stating that my own sent to you through Mr. Rosengarten had failed to come to hand.¹ I had no more at that time, and only now have had a chance to have a few more taken.

Knowing it would interest you, I mailed a few weeks ago a copy of my address at Hartford, and also a brief newspaper report of the discussions thereon.² I think, as you will see I believe, that my good friend Prof. Gray did not apprehend the full nature of my facts, as I saw him enter the hall, when the paper had been half read through.³ I think his remarks have however tended to misdirect the public press. The Popular Science Monthly, for instance, remarks, “on the contrary, all except the Author regarded the facts as favoring M^r. Darwins Theory of Natural Selection”.⁴ I am sure there was nothing in my paper, nor in any subsequent remarks of mine, which warranted the “exception”. My point was that there are other factors in the origination of form, besides—not opposed to—Natural Selection, both acting perhaps in conjunction therewith.

I am still gathering facts in relation to the connection between color and sex in plants;⁵ but my numerous occupations prevent me from working them up as rapidly as I would like. One of the prettiest facts is in Daucus Carota. In this part of the world the umbel often has male flowers sparingly. Usually one in the center. That is the gynoecium is arrested at an early stage of its growth, and the stamens become remarkably perfectly formed. These male flowers are always highly colored.⁶ Still in these, as in most other studies of natural phenomena, come in contradictions which make me hesitate about any positive conclusion. Thus the pistils of Corylus Americana and I suppose others, are deeply rose tinted,—while the male catkins (all catkins?) are in a sense colorless.⁷

I am continually impressed with the apparent fact that the world knows comparatively nothing of plants as living beings. Most is dry Herbarium knowledge. And we are far behind you in Europe. Still we have a few ardent workers, among whom the best is possibly D^r. Engelmann, and I wish he would publish more. I have just a brief note from him in Colorado, where he is rusticating this Autumn, in which he tells me he has discovered remarkable behaviour in the stamens and pistils of the Gentians of that Section—the large flowered ones acting differently to the small (including Swertias) and which has a great and interesting bearing on cross and Insect fertilization.—⁸ Forgive this gossip. “Pen in hand” is a great temptation.

Very truly your | Thomas Meehan