242 Charles Darwin. 



What interesting and beautiful observations you 

 have made on the metamorphoses of the grasshopper- 

 destroying insects ! 



Believe me, my dear sir, 



Yours sincerely, 



Ch. Darwin. 



My own experience in this regard is the common 

 experience, for an interest in natural science was an 

 open sesame to his generous soul. His considera- 

 tion, without aggression, was the secret of the grati- 

 tude and respect which all felt who had the honour 

 to know him, either personally or through corre- 

 spondence. 



His approval of the work of others was coupled 

 with a depreciation of his own, which was very 

 marked on the occasion of my second visit to Eu- 

 rope, in 1875, when I crossed the ocean with his son 

 Leonard on his way from the Transit of Venus ex- 

 pedition. " Insectivorous Plants " was just finished, 

 and Darwin was worn and in feeble health, staying, in 

 fact, at Abinger Hall for rest. He was quite dis- 

 gusted with the book, to use his son's expression, 

 and doubted whether it could prove of sufificient 

 interest, with its long and dry records of experiments, 

 to be read by anyone. 



DARWIN AS A BOTANIST. 



By LESTER F. WARD, A.M., LL.D., 



Hon. Curator Department of Fossil Plants, U. S. National Museum ; Paleo- 



botanist U. S. Geological Survey. 



Appointed by the committee to furnish a brief 

 sketch on this occasion of the contributions of 



