To Charles Lyell 9 August [1838]
Summary
Comments on receiving copy of Lyell’s Elements [of geology]. Much is new to CD, and he is copying out notes and references.
Criticises geological work of John Phillips.
Describes expedition to Glen Roy, about which he is writing a paper ["Parallel roads of Glen Roy" (1839), Collected papers 1: 87–137].
Enjoys the Athenaeum Club.
Criticises entomological work of F. W. Hope.
Asks Lyell to obtain for him a copy of barometric readings made at Leith.
Asks him to ascertain altitude of several Scottish lochs.
Comments on FitzRoy’s character.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 9 Aug [1838] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.10) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-424 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … of the conclusions, with you which the examination of Glen Roy has led me to. Now I have …
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
From Robert FitzRoy 26 February 1838
Summary
His work [on vol. 2 of Narrative] is going slowly.
Has no objection to anything in CD’s excellent volume. CD should "entertain no further scruple on that subject".
| Author: | Robert FitzRoy |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 26 Feb 1838 |
| Classmark: | DAR 204: 145 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-403 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
To Emma Wedgwood [27 November 1838]
Summary
CD and Erasmus continue to search for a house in central London. They have tea with the Carlyles.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Emma Wedgwood; Emma Darwin |
| Date: | [27 Nov 1838] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.8: 6 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-445 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
From William Buckland to the Geological Society of London 9 March 1838
Summary
Recommends CD’s paper on "Formation of mould" [Collected papers 1: 49–53; read 1 Nov 1837] be printed in Transactions. Praises it as establishing a new "geological power".
| Author: | William Buckland |
| Addressee: | Geological Society of London |
| Date: | 9 Mar 1838 |
| Classmark: | Geological Society of London (GSL/COM/P/4/2/47) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-404 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
From W. D. Fox [c. November 1838]
Summary
Reports on the effects of inbreeding in dogs and the results of crossing Canada and common geese.
| Author: | William Darwin Fox |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [c. Nov 1838] |
| Classmark: | DAR 164: 173 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-418 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
From Robert Bastard James to Charles Lyell [c. 10 March 1838]
Summary
Sends four samples of dust blown on board his ship from the coast of Africa, nearly 400 miles away, during four days in March 1838. Gives careful descriptions and relates the tests he made of it [see Collected papers 1: 200].
| Author: | Robert Bastard James |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | [c. 10 Mar 1838] |
| Classmark: | DAR 168: 43 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-405 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … gallant sails 140 feet from the deck — on examination by a good microscope I found a great …
From Charles Lyell 6 and 8 September 1838
Summary
Would like to talk over Salisbury Craigs with CD.
CL’s father enthusiastic over Journal of researches.
Comments on Élie de Beaumont’s theory of mountain elevation.
Asks about parallel lines of upheaval and depression in the Pacific.
Glad CD likes Athenaeum Club.
Comments on methods of work.
Invites CD to visit Kinnordy.
Defends BAAS: "in this country no importance is attached to any body of men who do not make occasional demonstrations of their strength in public meetings".
With respect to Glen Roy, notes existence of deposits destitute of shells.
| Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 6 and 8 Sept 1838 |
| Classmark: | K. M. Lyell 1881 2: 43 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-425 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, …
| letter | (7) |
| Buckland, William | (1) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (2) |
| FitzRoy, Robert | (1) |
| Fox, W. D. | (1) |
| James, R. B. | (1) |
| Lyell, Charles | (1) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (3) |
| Lyell, Charles | (2) |
| Darwin, Emma | (1) |
| Geological Society of London | (1) |
| Wedgwood, Emma | (1) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (5) |
| Lyell, Charles | (3) |
| Buckland, William | (1) |
| Darwin, Emma | (1) |
| FitzRoy, Robert | (1) |
Dipsacus and Drosera: Frank’s favourite carnivores
Summary
In Autumn of 1875, Francis Darwin was busy researching aggregation in the tentacles of Drosera rotundifolia (F. Darwin 1876). This phenomenon occurs when coloured particles within either protoplasm or the fluid in the cell vacuole (the cell sap) cluster…
Matches: 1 hits
- … rotundifolia tentacles, Francis had to delay further examinations . His father encouraged …
Correspondence with women
Summary
We know of letters to or from around 2000 correspondents, about 100 of whom were women. Using the letter summaries available on this website, the letters can be assigned to rough categories. Included in the count are letters to women in Darwin’s family…
Matches: 1 hits
- … of women was maintained artificially by their exclusion from examinations and learned societies. He …
Darwin and Fatherhood
Summary
Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and over the next seventeen years the couple had ten children. It is often assumed that Darwin was an exceptional Victorian father. But how extraordinary was he? The Correspondence Project allows an unusually…
Matches: 1 hits
- … was becoming determined by qualifications and entry examinations. This made their choice of private …
Forms of flowers
Summary
Darwin’s book The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species, published in 1877, investigated the structural differences in the sexual organs of flowers of the same species. It drew on and expanded five articles Darwin had published on the…
Matches: 1 hits
- … been so much observed of late and which in the course of our examinations for Genera Plantarum had …
Darwin in letters, 1821-1836: Childhood to the Beagle voyage
Summary
Darwin's first known letters were written when he was twelve. They continue through school-days at Shrewsbury, two years as a medical student at Edinburgh University, the undergraduate years at Cambridge, and the of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle.…
Matches: 1 hits
- … able properly to consider the results of his and others’ examinations of the Beagle specimens …
Darwin in letters, 1869: Forward on all fronts
Summary
At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of Origin. He may have resented the interruption to his work on sexual selection and human evolution, but he spent forty-six days on the task. Much of the…
Matches: 1 hits
- … (George and Leonard), who had recently excelled in their examinations. Darwin himself was described …
