Summary

Approves of GHD’s letter [to Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 587–9] and his present plan, which removes all CD’s objections. Will make his own letter to Murray less imperious. "It will be a dreadful evil to me, if … we come to a quarrel."

Summary

Likes GHD’s article ["Professor Whitney on the origin of language", Contemp. Rev. (1874): 894]. "You have defended me nobly."

Summary

Has no objection to sending GHD’s letter as it is. The only accusation it seems necessary to rebut is about licentiousness. Regrets this is not made more prominent.

Gives some suggestions for GHD’s reply to Mivart’s attack.

Summary

Urges CD not to break with Murray even if he does not force the editor [of Q. Rev.] to insert GHD’s letter [in response to Mivart’s attack]. Murray may have a rule not to meddle with editor.

Summary

Regrets he cannot follow the line of denial CD suggests. Explains why he must defend himself against charge that he approves of oppressive laws.

Summary

Describe the Pinguicula species found at Mürren. Have found seeds on some. Their large roots seem to indicate that they do not get much animal food.

Summary

GHD’s article will not do. It is too long and the denial seems weak and confused; also, it ought to be in the form of a letter to the editor. Encloses draft of the sort of letter of denial he thinks GHD should write.

Summary

Sends a draft of his letter to the editor of the Quarterly Review [137 (1874): 587–9], answering Mivart’s charges. Encloses draft of CD’s letter to John Murray, urging publication of GHD’s defence, with George’s amendments.

Summary

The occurrence and prevention of scale in boilers.

Anxious to hear Murray’s reply [to CD’s letter 9598].

Summary

Asks JM, as a favour, to use his influence with the Editor of Quarterly Review to print George Darwin’s answer to the charge made by the author of "Primitive man" [St George Mivart] that GD approved "of the encouragement of vice to check population".

Summary

Thanks EN for his book [Indian snakes, 2d ed. (1874)]. CD is pleased that it calls attention to gradation in the character of snake poison.

Summary

Apologises for delay, but is away from home; has sent telegraph.

Francis Darwin is abroad on his honeymoon and unable to respond to GEP’s offer of a medical position.

Summary

[Drafts by CD of the letter sent by George Darwin]. Responds to charges made in a review article [by St G. J. Mivart]. [See 9598. The final letter was printed in Q. Rev. 137 (1874): 587–9.]

Summary

Acknowledges CD’s complaint against a paper [by St George Mivart] in the last Quarterly Review [see 9568]. Agrees to print George Darwin’s answer [see 9596].

Summary

Utricularia catch freshwater Crustaceans, which cannot be digested and rot in the bladders. CD is interested to identify any substance produced in the putrefaction before it is resolved into gases and salts of ammonia. He has reason to believe that the plant absorbs such products.

Summary

CD has not received the proofs [of JT’s Belfast address to BAAS].

Wishes JT were through with Belfast [meeting of BAAS, 1874]. CD cannot imagine surviving such a week of excitement.

Summary

Reports difficulties in experiments on digestion of fibro-cartilage. Asks about JSBS’s experiments with artificial digestive fluids.

JSBS must read Hooker’s address at Belfast [Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 103–16] to see what a magnificent digester Nepenthes is.

Summary

Discusses flower structures of the hop.

Summary

Reports on a crossbreed between a duck and a fowl, having duck’s beak, partly webbed feet, and fowl’s feathers.

Summary

It is splendid how Nepenthes is behaving. Drosera and Dionaea are insignificant by comparison.

Takes rather a malicious pleasure in JDH’s failure with Cephalotus as a match to his with Utricularia.