To John Lubbock 17 November 1871
Down, | Beckenham, Kent.
Nov 17. 1871
My dear Lubbock
Your essay is capital, & not at all too rash.1
If it is any satisfaction to you I’ll swear that every word is true. Your case of polynema passed thro’ my mind when I was thinking on the subject; but do not you suppose that the wings of this insect have been reduced for the special purpose of swimming?2
I have put a pencil alteration to shew what I mean, & have made 2 other suggestions in pencil which you can easily rub out. That is a good remark of yours about the different methods of aquatic respiration of larvæ.3
Farewell— I am very glad to have learnt with certainty how insects acquired their wings! | Ever yours | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Summary
Praises and comments on JL’s essay on insects ["Origin of insects", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. 11 (1873): 422–5].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8072
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Lubbock, 4th baronet and 1st Baron Avebury
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 261.7: 7 (EH 88205932)
- Physical description
- LS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8072,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8072.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19
