i86s i88i] F. MULLER 369 



note away from my home, but before I left I had the satisfac- Letter 690 

 tion of seeing Phyllanthus sleeping. Some of the seeds which 

 you so kindly sent me would not germinate, or had not then 

 germinated. I received a letter yesterday from Dr. Breitenbach, 

 and he tells me that you lost many of your books in the 

 desolating flood from which you suffered. Forgive me, but 

 why should you not order, through your brother Hermann, 

 books, etc., to the amount of ^"100, and I would send a 

 cheque to him as soon as I heard the exact amount? This 

 would be no inconvenience to me ; on the contrary, it 

 would be an honour and lasting pleasure to me to have 

 aided you in your invaluable scientific work to this small 

 and trifling extent. 1 



To F. M tiller. Letter 691 



The following extract from a letter to F. Muller shows what was 

 the nature of Darwin's interest in the effect of carbonate of ammonia on 

 roots, etc. He was, we think, wrong in adhering to the belief that the 

 movements of aggregated masses are of an amoeboid nature. The 

 masses change shape, just as clouds do under the moulding action of the 

 wind. In the plant cell the moulding agent is the flowing protoplasm 

 but the masses themselves are passive. 



Sept. loth, iS8i. 



Perhaps you may remember that I described in In- 

 sectivorous Plants a really curious phenomenon, which I called 

 the aggregation of the protoplasm in the cells of the tentacles. 

 None of the great German botanists will admit that the 

 moving masses are composed of protoplasm, though it is 

 astonishing to me that any one could watch the movement 

 and doubt its nature. But these doubts have led me to 

 observe analogous facts, and I hope to succeed in proving 

 my case. 



To F. MUller. 



Letter 692 

 Down, Nov. 1 3th, 1881. 



I received a few days ago a small box (registered) con- 

 taining dried flower-heads with brown seeds somewhat sculp- 

 tured on the sides. There was no name, and I should be 

 much obliged if some time you would tell me what these 

 seeds are. I have planted them. 



I sent you some time ago my little book on earthworms, 



1 See Letter 687, also Life and Letters, III., p. 242. 

 VOL. II. 24 



