1868 1881] MISCELLANEOUS 371 



have been unwilling to try more than one leaf of the Passiflora^ Letter 693 

 and this came out of the water quite dry on the lower surface 

 and quite wet on the upper. I have not yet begun to put my 

 notes together on this subject, and do not at all know whether 

 I shall be able to make much of it. The oddest little fact 

 which I have observed is that with Trifolium resupinatum, 

 one half of the leaf (I think the right-hand side, when the leaf 

 is viewed from the apex) is protected by waxy secretion, and 

 not the other half ; l so that when the leaf is dipped into water, 

 exactly half the leaf comes out dry and half wet. What the 

 meaning of this can be I cannot even conjecture. I read last 

 night your very interesting article in Kosmos on Crotalaria^ 

 and so was very glad to see the dried leaves sent by you : it 

 seems to me a very curious case. I rather doubt whether it 

 will apply to Lupinus, for, unless my memory deceives me, all 

 the leaves of the same plant sometimes behaved in the same 

 manner ; but I will try and get some of the same seeds of 

 the Lnpinus, and sow them in the spring. Old age, however, 

 is telling on me, and it troubles me to have more than one 

 subject at a time on hand. 



In a letter to F. Miiller (Sept. 10, 1881) occurs a sentence which 

 may appropriately close this series : " I often feel rather ashamed of 

 myself for asking for so many things from you, and for taking up so 

 much of your valuable time, but I can assure you that I feel grateful." 



III. MISCELLANEOUS, 1868 1881. 

 To G. Bentham. 



Down, April 22nd, 1868. Letter 694 



I have been extremely much pleased by your letter, and 

 I take it as a very great compliment that you should have 

 written to me at such length. ... I am not at all surprised 

 that you cannot digest pangenesis : it is enough to give any 

 one an indigestion ; but to my mind the idea has been an 

 immense relief, as I could not endure to keep so many large 

 classes of facts all floating loose in my mind without some thread 

 of connection to tie them together in a tangible method. 



1 In the above passage " leaf " should be " leaflet " : for a figure of 

 Trifolium resupinatum see Letter 740 



