Carlisle on.
Melastoma, Darwin on.
Melastomaceae, Darwin on. -crossing in. -two kinds of stamens in.
Meldola, Prof. Raphael F.R.S.: Professor of Chemistry in Finsbury Technical College (City and Guilds of London Institute), and a well- known entomologist; translated and edited Weismann's "Studies in the Theory of Descent," 1882-83. -address to Entomological Society. -letters to. -translation of Weismann's "Studies in Descent" by. -on Weismann and Darwin. -mentioned.
Melipona.
Meloe, Lord Avebury on.
Melrose, seeds from sandpit near.
Memorial to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mendel, G., W. Bateson on his "Principles of Heredity." -Darwin ignorant of work of. -Laxton and.
Mendoza, Darwin visits.
"Mental Evolution in Animals," Romanes'.
Mentha, of N. America. -M. borealis, variety in N. America.
Menura superba, colour and nests of.
Menzies and Cumming, visit Galapagos Islands.
Mercurialis.
Mertensia, Darwin's experiments on.
Mesembryanthemum.
Mesotherium, Falconer on.
Metamorphic schists.
Metamorphism, Darwin on. -heat and. -Sorby on.
Metamorphosis, Lord Avebury on insects and. -F. Muller on. -Quatrefages on.
Meteorites, Lord Kelvin suggests their agency in introduction of plants.
"Methods of Study," Agassiz' book on.
Mexicans, explanation of natural affinities of Chinese and.
Meyen, on insectivorous plants.
Meyer, Dr., translator of Wallace's "Malay Archipelago."
Meyer and Doege, on plants of Cape of Good Hope.
Mica, in foliated rocks.
Mica-slate, clay-slate and.
Mice, ears of. -experiments by Tait on.
Microscope, Darwin on convenient form of. -indispensable in work on flowers. -use of compound without simple, injurious to progress of Natural History.
Migration of animals and plants. -Darwin on plant-. -of elephants. -Glacial period and. -of plants. -in tropics. -of birds.
Mikania, a leaf-climber. -M. scandens, gradation between Mutisia and.
Mill, J.S., on Darwin's reasoning. -on greatest happiness principle.
Miller, Hugh, "First Impressions of England and its People."
Miller, S.H., "Fenland Past and Present" by Skertchley and.
Miller, Prof. William Hallowes, F.R.S. (1801-80), held the Chair of Mineralogy at Cambridge from 1832 to 1880 (see "Obituary Notices of Fellows," "Proc. R. Soc." Volume XXXI., 1881). He is referred to in the "Origin of Species" (Edition VI., page 221) as having verified Darwin's statement as to the structure of the comb made by Melipona domestica, a Mexican species of bee. The cells of Melipona occupy an intermediate position between the perfect cells of the hive-bee and the much simpler ones of the humble-bee; the comb consists "of cylindrical cells in which the young are hatched, and, in addition, some large cells of wax for holding honey. These latter cells are nearly spherical and of nearly equal sizes, and are aggregated into an irregular mass. But the important point to notice is that these cells are always made at that degree of nearness to each other that they would have intersected or broken into each other if the spheres had been completed; but this is never permitted, the bees building perfectly flat walls of wax between the spheres which thus tend to intersect." It occurred to Darwin that certain changes in the architecture of the Melipona comb would produce a structure "as perfect as the comb of the hive-bee." He made a calculation, therefore, to show how this structural improvement might be effected, and submitted the statement to Professor Miller. By a slight modification of the instincts possessed by Melipona domestica, this bee would be able to build with as much mathematical accuracy as the hive-bee; and by such modifications of instincts Darwin believed that "the hive-bee has acquired, through natural selection, her inimitable architectural powers" (loc. cit., page 222). -letters to.
Million years, Darwin on meaning of a.
Milne-Edwards, Darwin's cirripede work and. -Darwin's opinion of. -on retrograde development.