Summary

The statues on which the egg-cases were found were perfectly clean and had never been painted.

Reports on fossilised leaf-prints he has found on the island. Found no seeds or land shells at the site.

Summary

Must refuse WCM’s request to revise E. Ray Lankester's testimonial.

Summary

Has read Earthworms; would like to know if his friend’s belief is true that worms, if not destroyed, eat the tender rootlets of grass.

Summary

Thinks William Thomson will support him [for Plumian Professorship at Cambridge].

Summary

Writes to ask how much he should subscribe to fund for David Ferrier.

Summary

Hopes WPS may succeed with a new edition of his book [see 13495]. WPS saw so much more of the natives of Tierra del Fuego than did CD and his opinion of them is probably right.

Discourages him from visiting.

Summary

Rows of cells with granular matter following treatment with carbonate of ammonia also found in white and young rootlets of common zonal Pelargonium. Differs slightly from Euphorbia in that 2, 3, 4, or 5 rows often adjoin. CD wrong in supposing that these rows of cells were connected with lacticiferous ducts ("milk-tubes"). Root hairs arise exclusively from rows of cells without brownish granular matter. It appears that certain rows of cells with hairs are absorbent and store matter of some kind. This is a new view of the structure and function of rootlets. Francis Darwin will soon set up the salt solution to make the experiment SHV recommends.

Summary

Discusses milk ducts in Euphorbia [spurge].

Summary

Thanks him for magnificent work on Pycnogonida [The zoology of the voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, vol. 3, part 10 (1881)].

Is delighted that he is undertaking the Cirripedia [1883–4].

Summary

At Mrs Lyell’s request, passes on a spare copy of K. M. Lyell ed. 1881.

Summary

Reports observing two wheat flowers that bent towards each other and pressed together in a "quick throbbing motion".

Summary

Will observe the granular cells in roots, to investigate CD’s observation that root-hairs spring from cells that are not granular. Hopes they may be soluble in [carbonate of ammonia] solution.

Summary

Concerning French translation of Earthworms

and Movement in plants.

Summary

Last issue of Nature has made him "awfully proud". [See R. S. Ball, "A glimpse through the corridors of time", Nature 25 (1881): 79–82.]

Summary

Sends some additions and corrections he has made in the 5th thousand, [of Earthworms] now being printed.

Summary

Describes experiment in which Euphorbia and Drosophyllum roots were exposed to ammonium carbonate solution. Asks SHV’s opinion.

Summary

Has no objection to Édouard Heckel’s preface to the French translation of Movement in Plants.

Sends some additions for the French translation of Earthworms.

Wouls like a copy of the French translation of Movement in Plants sent to Gaston de Saporta, Charles Frédéric Martins and Charles Victor Naudin.

Summary

Writes regarding subscription to set up the Science Defence and Advancement Fund to protect investigators from anti-vivisectionists and to promote knowledge of the purpose and importance of vivisection.

Summary

Offers for sale a MS of lost Erasmus Darwin poem on materialism [Francis Darwin note: "Swindle"].

Summary

Thanks CD for support in his election as Linacre Professor at Oxford.

J. Y. Buchanan, of the Challenger, says deep-sea red mud is fine because, like CD’s vegetable mould, it has been digested by worms and echinoderms.

Visited by John MacNeile Price, the son of CD’s friend from Chile, Mr Price; the son is now Surveyor General of Hong Kong.