From Francis Darwin [1875?]

Down

My dear Father

I have had two mornings work at Drosera but without success. I got into a very good way of doing it but the plants seem sluggish. The first morning 26″ was the quickest—counting from the beginning of contact of the drop of meat infusion. The second morning they were more sluggish still; ammonia is not so nice to work with as meat; as with meat one is not afraid of evaporation making ones drop weak if one waits a bit— The only thing of the slightest interest is that contact for 1' produced movement in just the same time counting from the beginning as contact for 4” did; the tentacles were on the same leaf; but of course one experiment isnt much good— I shall try again, because now I can do it accurately—

My frog preparations are pretty good—

I am very glad mother & you are keeping well.

Thank you for writing about the pamphlets, we have cut up a lot & sorted some— it will be done when you come home—

Yr affec son | F Darwin

DAR 274.1: 28

To F. J. Cohn 1 January 1875

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

Jan 1. 75

My dear Sir

According to our English fashion “I wish you many happy returns of this day”. I write now to ask you whether I might copy two of your drawings of Aldrovanda, marked by a red cross on the sketch which you were so kind as to send me. I should like to add one of the quadrifid trichomes if these have been drawn by you. I give only woodcuts in my forthcoming work, and I should of course say that they were copied from you. I have not described Aldrovanda, & refer my readers to your work; but my few remarks would hardly be intelligble without these drawings. I am going to send my other drawings to the woodcut-engraver immediately; & if you grant me permission, & if I receive your work in time, I will have the drawings copied. It would therefore be a great assistance to me if you could send me a proof of the plate.