Summary

CD forwards letter from F. J. Cohn [11093] that provides confirmation of observations by Francis Darwin on the contractile filaments protruded from the glands of Dipsacus.

Summary

Asks specific questions on looking after plants of Dionaea. [The correspondent’s replies to the questions are written beneath them.]

Summary

Asks WED to make some observations on Acacia or Robinia.

Summary

Would like specimen of Cassia mimosoides.

Offers books to R. I. Lynch in return for services rendered.

Summary

Discusses plants sent for experiments and "bloom" on leaves of Trifolium.

Sends enclosure for R. I. Lynch.

Summary

Much obliged for account of cleistogamic flowers.

Summary

Sends thanks for a newspaper abstract; will be pleased to see the paper [probably "Economy as a phonetic force", Trans. Am. Philological Assoc.8 (1877): 123–34] when printed.

Sends his own ["Biographical sketch of an infant"], saying it is of little value, the observations having been made before recent advances in philology.

Summary

Will be interested in reading AdeC’s paper on Smilax. The transition from hermaphroditic to unisexual condition is a perplexing problem.

CD agrees that there is much justice in AdeC’s criticism of his use of the terms "object", "end", and "purpose" but thinks "those who believe that organs have been gradually modified by natural selection for a special purpose, may I think use the above terms correctly though no conscious being has intervened".

CD and Francis are hard at work on the function of "bloom" but CD doubts that the experiments will tell them much.

Does AdeC have a decided opinion on whether plants with glaucous leaves are more frequent in hot or dry than in cold or wet countries?

Francis has been getting "striking" results from feeding meat to Drosera.

Summary

Requests plants that show movement, and any with "bloom" living near the sea.

Summary

Asks permission to publish comments by FJC regarding paper by Francis Darwin [see 11073].

Summary

CD sends his thanks for LN’s book [Der Ursprung der Sprache] and for the obliging words on the title page.

Summary

Comments on GJR’s papers in Nature [see 11103].

Mentions manuscript by Miss Lawless on fertilisation in plants.

Discusses work of Francis Darwin on Dipsacus

and his own experiments on Drosera.

Summary

Comments on JC’s paper ["On the tidal retardation argument for the age of the earth", Rep. BAAS (1876): 88–9].

Summary

Obliged for essay on plants of Greece.

Summary

Comments on GJR’s paper in Nature.

Summary

Thanks for plants.

Thanks R. I. Lynch for information about "bloom" on leaves.

WTT-D should not write to Mr Smith about plants near seashore.

Summary

Thanks for letter about Pontederia.

Summary

Asks about sleep movements of Erythrina crista-galli. Comments on movements of Averrhoa.

Summary

Thanks GC for his new work [La teoria dell’evoluzione esposta (1877)]. CD regrets he cannot read Italian.

Summary

Response to Wallace’s article ["The colours of animals and plants", Macmillan’s Mag. (Sept 1877)] on sexual colours and "voluntary" sexual selection.