Summary

Sends specimens of Passiflora and seeds for T. H. Farrer [letter enclosed with 7188].

Summary

Hopes CD has received his letter of 12 August.

Sends some new observations on climbing plants. [The observations are part of "Notes on some of the climbing-plants, near Desterro, in South Brazil", J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 9 (1867): 344–9.]

Summary

In answer to CD’s query, FM thinks the seeds he sent were those of the sensitive Mimosa.

Reports his observations of movement of leaves of Bauhinia grandiflora and B. brasiliensis. They do not "sleep" in hot weather.

Sends some seeds of Pontederia he had fertilised.

Summary

His observations on mimicry in butterflies

and self-sterility in plants.

Summary

Reports butterfly species that apparently mimic each other and gives details of some odoriferous species.

[Letter copied in Raphael Meldola’s hand from original sent to Meldola with 11449.]

Summary

In his last letter FM told CD about four flowers of Lagerstroemia that he had fertilised with the yellow pollen of another variety or species and which had subsequently fallen off. He has now repeated the experiment using the yellow pollen of a different variety and successfully produced good fruit as large as that fertilised with green pollen.

Summary

Thanks CD for new [2d] edition of Orchids.

Mentions some observations on dimorphic plants.

Reports on a third species of Pontederia [see Forms of flowers, p. 185].

Describes some unusual grasses.

Reports rumours from southern Brazil concerning the existence of a gigantic subterranean animal.

Summary

Discusses some of his observations on the sleep movement in plants. Has been studying the leaflets of Crotalaria; has discovered they move to face the setting sun.

Summary

Has CD ever considered that the colour of seeds of Amarantaceae would attract the attention of birds?

Describes case of a climbing Chamissoa of the local flora.

Summary

Sends proboscis of a Sphinx-moth that is 22 cms long.

Discusses eleven species of butterfly which visit Lantana, a plant which blooms only for three days and whose flowers are yellow on the first day, orange on the second, and purple on the third. Most species only visit the flowers when they are yellow.

Describes and draws the odiferous organs of a Sphinx-moth.

Describes a secondary sexual character of several species of Callidryas and other Pierinæ: the costal margin of the anterior wing is sharply serrated in the males, while it is smooth in the females.

Summary

Is sending CD the seeds of a beautiful Cassia given to him by a friend. He sketched the unripe fruit a few months ago. This plant is rare in the area around Sta Catharina. He has found their largest and most beautiful butterfly Callidryas manippe near this tree and its caterpillars living on its leaves. Comments on how remarkable it is to find a species limited to living on a single tree in so large an area.

Summary

Describes experiments with sterility in Abutilon.

Describes hermaphroditism in a wild Begonia in Brazil.

Has been observing humble bees on Salvia.

Summary

Describes experiments to test the fertility of Abutilon, which appears self-sterile,

and briefly mentions dichogamy in Eschscholzia.

Summary

Has lately found frog that has eggs on its back.

Pupae of caddis-flies living on rocks have lost fringe of hairs on their feet. In species that live in the water these are used for swimming.

Summary

Thanks CD for sending him copy of Variation.

Describes results of his brother’s [August Müller] experiments on effect of climate on maize.

Like ancestors of horses, young tapir is also striped.

Summary

Observations on a sensitive Mimosa.

Comments on structure and positioning of "odoriferous organs" of moths and butterflies,

and feeding habits of butterfly larvae.

Summary

Thanks CD for his paper on climbing plants. Lists the many genera that he has found in his area in a short period since reading CD’s paper. [See 4881.]

Summary

"Sambaquis", or shell mounds accumulated by former inhabitants of the coast, contain shells of some animals that FM has never seen living.

Ants that live on imbauba trees (Cecropia) are attracted by small bodies at base of each petiole.

Summary

Discusses dimorphism of Oxalis; one form has 99% sterile anthers. Has found three kinds of fertile anthers.