Summary

Seventieth birthday greetings.

Summary

Thanks CD for MS on the routes of male bees.

His "Fertilisation of flowers" is complete [Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)].

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Movement in plants has shown him CD’s research method: 1. Find a fundamental idea of great generality (circumnutation); 2. Pursue it everywhere with observations and experiment; 3. Conduct special observations which undo any doubt of generality.

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Would like Frederick Smith of the British Museum to determine whether or not some unidentified Westphalian bees are new species.

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Sends his book [Die Befruchtung der Blumen (1873)]. Hopes CD will publish an opinion of it.

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Thanks for CD’s praise of his book [see 8901].

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No papers on heterostyly have appeared since 1873.

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Thanks CD for his efforts to get HM’s book, Die Befruchtung der Blumen [1873], translated into English. [See Fertilisation of flowers, translated by D’Arcy W. Thompson, preface by C. Darwin (1883).]

Will soon return to his observations on insects in general and bees in particular.

Summary

HM’s son will visit CD when he comes to London.

Is glad CD approves of his judgment of G. Bonnier’s paper on nectaries [Gaston Bonnier, "Les nectaires", Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) 8 (1879): 5–212].

Summary

Fritz Müller suffered moderate damage in Brazilian flood.

Continued praise for the universal importance for botany of Movement in plants.

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Has heard from W. Engelmann of Leipzig; he is willing to let CD have the woodcuts to Fritz Müller’s work [Für Darwin (1864)] for 22 thalers.

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Thanks CD for the English edition of his brother’s book [Fritz Müller, Facts and arguments for Darwin (1869)]

and for CD’s memoir on orchids ["Fertilization of orchids", Collected papers 2: 138–56].

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Fritz Müller is now working on the Brazilian honey-bees (Melipona and Trigona).

HM thanks CD for fertilisation references.

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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

Reports results of crosses between the two forms of Viola tricolor: 1. Female small flower crossed with male large flower yields all small flowers (cleistogamous self-fertilisation suspected); 2. Male small flower crossed with female large yields intermediate flowers; 3. Large flower crossed with large flower yields self-sterility symptoms.

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Fritz Müller’s daughter has committed suicide.

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Poa annua shows putative evidence of nectar secretion in grasses. He will continue observations as CD requests.

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He has never observed the straight line flight routes in male humble-bees that CD reports.

His last letter was in error: alpine Bombus terrestris does break into some flowers.

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Thanks for Cross and self-fertilisation.

Fritz Müller has been appointed "Naturalista Viajante" of the Rio de Janeiro Museum, which will help his income greatly.

Summary

Thanks CD for his photograph.

Intends to start experimenting with mosses to determine which differences in structure are effected by altered conditions of life.