[1]

Sep 27. 1903

[Printed letterhead:] Newnham Grange, Cambridge

Dear Sir,

I hope that you will accept a copy of the life of my father, which I am sending to you, as a momento of your kindness to us at Copenhagen. –

I have gummed into the book a sheet of my father's M.S. from the draft of the draft of the Insectivorous Plants. My father used to write his M.S. very roughly and then have it copied by a clerk for further correction. He used to throw away his rough drafts.

This M.S. was accidentally preserved by me because I used the other side of the paper for mathematical calculations

[2]

This will explain the mathematics which you will see on the reverse side. The writing is so bad that I doubt if any one, who did not know his handwriting well, would be able to read it. I have therefore slipped a translation into clearer writing.

We had a most enjoyable visit to Sweden after leaving Denmark, but the weather was unfortunately very bad.

Again thanking you for your great kindness,

I beg leave to remain,

My dear Sir,

Yours very sincerely

G H Darwin

To Dr. Albeck

[3]

The excitement thus caused by the solution of sugar acts for a much longer time on the sensitive filaments than a mere touch.

Of the thin leaves which had been immersed for a short time in the solution & then washed by a syringe inserted between the lobes, one reexpanded after two days; a second after seven days; & the third not until nine days had elapsed. Whereas after a simple touch a leaf reexpands, as we shall hereafter see, within about twenty four hours. The leaf on which a drop of the solution

[4] [envelope]

[5] [envelope verso]

[6] [Darwin's M.S.]

The excitement thus caused by the solution of sugar acts for a much longer time on the sensitive filaments than a mere touch.

Of the thin leaves which had been immersed for a short time in the solution and then washed by a syringe inserted between the lobes, one reexpanded after two days; a second after seven days; and the third not until nine days had elapsed. Whereas after a simple touch a leaf reexpands, as we shall hereafter see, within about twentyfour hours. The leaf on which a drop of the solution

[6v]

[mathematical notes by G. H. Darwin, not transcribed]