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* direct »Letter 318 — Darwin, C. R. to Henslow, J. S., [1 Nov 1836]
Alerts JSH to boxes of specimens and letter of 30 Oct on the way by wagon. Thomas Bell has expressed interest in CD's Crustacea and reptiles. CD's ignorance about his botanical specimens embarrasses him. Asks whether JSH is disappointed with Galapagos plants.
* direct »Letter 367 — Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, Charles, 30 July 1837
Galapagos land birds and reptiles. No two naturalists agree on any fundamental idea [of species]. "Everything is arbitrary." Has been with Richard Owen going over the S. American fossils. Has worked out the non-relation between animals' bulk and luxuriance of vegetation. The horse once common on the Pampas. The mystery of the extinction of these animals.
* direct »Letter 428 — Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, Charles, [14] Sept [1838]
Comments on an article in Edinburgh Review [by David Brewster, 67 (1838): 271–308] on Comte's Philosophie positive. Discusses falsity of Élie de Beaumont's views of contemporaneous parallel lines of elevation and subsidence. Owen's views of relationship of reptiles to birds. On "question of species" CD has filled notebook after notebook with facts, "which begin to group themselves clearly under sub-laws".
* direct »Letter 452 — Bell, Thomas to Darwin, C. R., [5 Dec 1838]
Sends congratulations on CD's forthcoming marriage. Has received some of the reptiles back from G. Bibron, who has named them. TB will get "some subjects in readiness for figuring" by CD's date.
* direct »Letter 629 — Darwin, C. R. to Jenyns, Leonard, [9 May 1842]
Is sending fish skins and bottles off to Cambridge Philosophical Society. Fish numbers [of Zoology], now finished, give CD satisfaction when he doubts whether he ought to have applied for Government money. Wishes Thomas Bell would finish his part [Reptiles]. CD has just corrected last page of index of Coral reefs.
* direct »Letter 658 — Darwin, C. R. to Smith, Elder & Co., [14 Jan 1843]
Asks for account. Discusses delay of Reptiles by Thomas Bell. Asks them to inform R. B. Hinds of delay.
* direct »Letter 686 — Waterhouse, G. R. to Darwin, C. R., [c. 2 Aug 1843]
Discusses classification of animals. Degree of affinity different for different taxonomic groups. Discusses affinity of Ornithorhynchus or Echidna to reptiles. Brain of whale is highly developed; on differences among brains of Quadrumana.
* direct »Letter 679 — Darwin, C. R. to Hawkins, B. W., [c. 1 Oct 1843]
Discusses poor impression of plates [for Reptiles by Thomas Bell].
* direct »Letter 950 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., [8? Feb 1846]
Will visit JDH in spring. Will JDH ask Gay what birds, reptiles, or mammifers inhabit Juan Fernández [Island]? Has JDH seen William Herbert's paper ["Local habitation and wants of plants", J. Hortic. Soc. Lond. 1 (1846): 44–9]?
* direct »Letter 2903 — Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, Charles, 1 Sept [1860]
Discusses at length CL's criticisms of natural selection. Comments on possible former connection between the Galapagos and South America. Discounts survival of mammals on atolls.Discusses reptile origin of mammals. Discounts development of a mammal on an island and the descent of mammals from a bird. The antiquity of islands. Comments on bats of New Zealand. Geographical distribution of seals. Discusses Amblyrhynchus. Glad CL will read his MS on origin of dogs [Variation 1: 15–43].