334 BOTANY. [ch. xvn. 



stick, the motion at that point is arrested, but in the upper 

 part is continued ; so that the climbing of all plants yet ex- 

 amined is the simple result of the spontaneous circulatory 

 movement of the upper internodes.* Pray tell me whether 

 anything has been published on this subject? I hate pub- 

 lishing what is old ; but I shall hardly regret my work if it 

 is old, as it has much amused me. . . . 



He soon found that his observations were not entirely 

 novel, and wrote to Hooker : " I have now read two German 

 books, and all I believe that has been written on climbers, 

 and it has stirred me up to find that I have a good deal of 

 new matter. It is strange, but I really think no one has 

 explained simple twining plants. These books have stirred 

 me up, and made me wish for plants specified in them." 



He continued his observations on climbing plants during 

 the prolonged illness from which he suffered in the autumn 

 of 1863, and in the following spring. He wrote to Sir J. 

 D. Hooker, apparently in March 1864 : 



" The hot-house is such an amusement to me, and my 

 amusement I owe to you, as my delight is to look at the 

 many odd leaves and plants from Kew. . . . The only ap- 

 proach to work which I can do is to look at tendrils and 

 climbers, this does not distress my weakened brain. Ask 

 Oliver to look over the enclosed queries (and do you look) 

 and amuse a broken-down brother naturalist by answering 

 any which he can. If you ever lounge through your houses, 

 remember me and climbing plants." 



A letter to Dr. Gray, April 9, 1865, has a word or two on 

 the subject : 



" I have began correcting proofs of my paper on Climb- 

 ing Plants. I suppose I shall be able to send you a copy in 

 four or five weeks. I think it contains a good deal new, and 

 some curious points, but it is so fearfully long, that no one 

 will ever read it. If, however, you do not skim through it, 

 you will be an unnatural parent, for it is your child." 



Dr. Gray not only read it but approved of it, to my fa- 

 ther's great satisfaction, as the following extracts show : 



" I was much pleased to get your letter of July 24th. 

 Now that I can do nothing, I maunder over old subjects, 

 and your approbation of my climbing paper gives me very 

 great satisfaction. I made my observations when I could 



* This view is rejected by some botanists. 



