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To Nature 7 and 11 May [1874]
Summary
Thanks Nature correspondents for their observations on destruction of primroses [Nature 9 (1874): 509; 10 (1874): 6–7]. Reports an error in his observations: ovules, as well as nectar, are taken by the birds. As the habit of cutting off primrose flowers is widespread, CD concludes it is instinctive in bullfinches.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Nature |
| Date: | 7 and 11 May [1874] |
| Classmark: | Nature, 14 May 1874, pp. 24–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9444 |
Addressee
| Nature | (1) |
Correspondent
| Darwin, C. R. | (1) |
| Nature |
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Wearing his knowledge lightly: From Fritz Müller, 5 April 1878
Summary
Darwin received letters from so many people and wrote so many fascinating letters himself, that it’s hard to choose from many letters that stand out, but one of this editor’s favourites, that always brings a smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5…
Matches: 7 hits
- … this editor’s favourites, that always brings a smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5 …
- … natural world. Müller begins this letter by mentioning notes that he has …
- … or sexual selection. The next section of the letter demonstrates not only Müller’s skill …
- … Vatican Council of 1869–70). Müller closes the letter with a complaint that a yellow …
- … in irregular postal service, so that his copies of Nature arrived at random times and out of …
- … to correspond. What shines through in this letter is Müller’s enthusiasm for his …
- … discussion, and shows a sense of fun. Müller in this letter, as always, wears his knowledge lightly. …
Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad
Summary
At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…
Matches: 25 hits
- … that he was ‘unwell & must write briefly’ ( letter to John Scott, 31 May [1863] ), and in a …
- … persevered with his work on Variation until 20 July, his letter-writing dwindled considerably. The …
- … of man and Huxley’s Evidence as to man’s place in nature both had a direct bearing on Darwin’s …
- … from ‘some Quadrumanum animal’, as he put it in a letter to J. D. Hooker of 24[–5] February [1863] …
- … ‘I declare I never in my life read anything grander’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 26 [February 1863] …
- … than Origin had (see Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 10 January [1860] ). …
- … of man and Huxley’s Evidence as to man’s place in nature directly confronted experts and non …
- … from animals like the woolly mammoth and cave bear ( see letter from Jacques Boucher de Perthes, 23 …
- … leap from that of inferior animals made him ‘groan’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). …
- … out that species were not separately created’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 17 March [1863] ). Public …
- … book he wished his one-time mentor had not said a word ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February …
- … I respect you, as my old honoured guide & master’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). …
- … against stronger statements regarding species change ( letter from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). …
- … thinking, while Huxley’s book would scare them off ( see letter from Asa Gray, 20 April 1863 ). In …
- … for a fitting opportunity’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 5 [and 6] January [1863] ). …
- … been filled in the fossil record ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 5 [and 6] January [1863] ). Only until …
- … the Athenæum in response ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863] ). He later expressed …
- … in 1863. From Shropshire, where Darwin first began observing nature, he was invited to become an …
- … honours like the Copley Medal ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 [December 1863] ). Plants and …
- … for every plant, and stated that there must then be ‘in nature, a deeper seated and innate principle …
- … VI). However, when Evidence as to man’s place in nature was published in February 1863, Huxley …
- … IV). Darwin continued to investigate the true nature of sterility, a question he had been …
- … in other flowers, provided evidence for his assertion that nature ‘abhors perpetual self …
- … ‘It was indeed one of the strongest feelings in his nature, and was exemplified in matters small and …
- … reminder of their loss (see Correspondence vol. 5). Unable to find Annie’s gravestone in 1863, …
Moral Nature
Summary
In Descent of Man, Darwin argued that human morality had evolved from the social instincts of animals, especially the bonds of sympathy and love. Darwin gathered observations over many decades on animal behavior: the heroic sacrifices of social insects,…
Matches: 13 hits
- … save another. Letters Letter 7048 : Darwin, W. E., to Darwin, …
- … but rather in a muddle on the whole subject" Letter 7645 : Morley, John to Darwin, …
- … but 'in the air' from generation to generation." Letter 7685 : Darwin to …
- … that man ever existed as a non-social animal." Letter 7691 , Morley, John, to …
- … the moral sense, at a time when Paris is aflame". Letter 7145 : Darwin to Cobbe, F. …
- … apes & savages at the moral sense of mankind." Letter 7149 : Cobbe, F. P. to …
- … metaphysics & physics form one great philosophy?" Letter 7470 : Wedgwood, …
- … which look with reverence or respect is shame." Letter 7537 : Darwin, C. R. to …
- … dissatisfied with himself & regret his conduct." Letter 9377 : Darwin, C. R. to …
- … remain, to a large extent, of the same so-called instinctive nature as before?" …
- … or random) is Self or Self-Interest." Letter 12615 : Darwin, C. R. to Preston, …
- … and behavior . (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), ch. 5. Contemporary debates …
- … University Press. Wilson, E. O. 1978. On Human Nature , pp. 149-67. …
Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?
Summary
'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…
Matches: 22 hits
- … What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 November [1872] …
- … anything more on 'so difficult a subject, as evolution’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 27 July …
- … best efforts, set the final price at 7 s. 6 d. ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 February 1872 ) …
- … condition as I can make it’, he wrote to the translator ( letter to J. J. Moulinié, 23 September …
- … translation remained unpublished at the end of the year ( letter from C.-F. Reinwald, 23 November …
- … to the comparative anatomist St George Jackson Mivart ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January …
- … comparison of Whale & duck most beautiful’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 3 March 1872 ) …
- … a person as I am made to appear’, complained Darwin ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 5 January 1872 ). …
- … Darwin would renounce `fundamental intellectual errors’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 6 January …
- … was silly enough to think he felt friendly towards me’ ( letter to St G. J. Mivart, 8 January [1872 …
- … hoping for reconciliation, if only `in another world’ ( letter from St G. J. Mivart, 10 January …
- … have been ungracious in him not to thank Mivart for his letter. He promised to send a copy of the …
- … partly in mind, `chiefly perhaps because I do it badly’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 3 August [1872] …
- … Darwinism is to be the theme. Surely the world moves!’ ( letter from Mary Treat, 13 December 1872 …
- … to find that Weismann accepted it at least in part ( letter to August Weismann, 5 April 1872 ). ‘I …
- … few naturalists in England seem inclined to believe it’ ( letter to Herman Müller, [before 5 May …
- … reached the buzzing place where I myself was standing’ ( letter to Hermann Müller, [before 5 May …
- … ‘as for myself it is dreadful doing nothing’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 22 October [1872] ). He was …
- … to stand closer (a serried mass) and to be more erect’ ( letter to Briton Riviere, 19 May [1872] ) …
- … and amused rather than offended by `that clever book’ ( letter to J. M. Herbert, 21 November 1872 …
- … Mr. Darwin , and Darwin wrote a cutting letter to Nature in Wallace’s defence ( letter to …
- … to me, which have ever been made’ ( letter to Mary Treat, 5 January 1872 ). In June, Lady …
Women’s scientific participation
Summary
Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…
Matches: 26 hits
- … Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
- … silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
- … observations of cats’ instinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
- … to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
- … be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to …
- … Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L …
- … Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., …
- … expression of emotion in her pet dog and birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. …
- … is making similar observations for him. Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. …
- … of a crying baby to Darwin's daughter, Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, …
- … briefly on her ongoing observations of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. …
- … expression of emotion in dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676 - Treat, M. to Darwin, …
- … birds, insects or plants on Darwin’s behalf. Letter 8683 - Roberts, D. to …
- … of an angry pig and her niece’s ears. Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, …
- … that she make observations of her pet cats. Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 …
- … on her experiments with fly-catching Drosera . Letter 9426 - Story …
- … without the birds attacking the buds and flowers. Letter 9616 - Marshall, T. to …
- … and her father of plants and insects. Men: Letter 2221 - Blyth, E. to Darwin …
- … specimens and bird observations from Calcutta. Letter 3634 - Darwin to Gray, A., [1 …
- … “enthusiasm and indomitable patience”. Letter 4242 - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin …
- … contained in “a little treatise”. Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 …
- … moved one or two of them into his bedroom. Letter 5602 - Sutton, S. to Darwin, [8 …
- … of emotion in chimpanzees and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, …
- … attracted to dark spots on the wallpaper. Letter 5756 - Langton, E. & C. to …
- … Letter 8144 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [5 January 1872] Darwin asks his niece, …
- … undertaken at Darwin’s suggestion. Letter 5254 - Hildebrand, F. H. G. to Darwin, …
Charles Harrison Blackley
Summary
You may not have heard of Charles Harrison Blackley (1820–1900), but if you are one of the 15 million people in the UK who suffer from hay fever, you are indebted to him. For it was he who identified pollen as the cause of the allergy. Darwin was…
Matches: 4 hits
- … him for his book Experimental researches on the causes and nature of Catarrhus Aestivus (hay-fever …
- … cannot fail to be largely blown in every direction. (Letter to C. H. Blackley, 5 July [1873] ) …
- … Praya in his Journal of researches (2nd edition, p. 5). Darwin gave a further example of how …
- … the weight of pollen grains by a dilution method. In his letter of 9 March 1877 , Darwin wrote: …
Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?
Summary
Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…
Matches: 25 hits
- … also contributed to discussions in the scientific weekly Nature on the role of inherited and …
- … I omitted to observe, which I ought to have observed” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] …
- … work your wicked will on it—root leaf & branch!” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ) …
- … parts of the flower would become modified & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August …
- … it again, “for Heaven knows when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). …
- … we take notes and take tracings of their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873] ) …
- … in importance; and if so more places will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 …
- … our unfortunate family being fit for continuous work” ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 25 September …
- … off, & most of them sold!” Reviews remarked on the popular nature of the book. Full of …
- … on any point; for I knew my own ignorance before hand” ( letter to George Cupples, 28 April [1873] …
- … “he would fly at the Empr’s throat like a bulldog” ( letter from L. M. Forster to H. E. Litchfield, …
- … force & truth of the great principle of inheritance!” ( letter to F. S. B. F. de Chaumont, 3 …
- … the heavy breathing that accompanied sexual intercourse? (letter from ?, [1873?]). The Scottish …
- … with up lines; & sadness & decay with the reverse—” ( letter from William Main, 2 April …
- … with the advance of civilisation and good breeding ( letter from Henry Reeks, 3 March 1873 ). …
- … have never felt an inclination to have a second dose” ( letter from Robert Swinhoe, 26 March 1873 …
- … of an orbital one produces snapping of the jaws” ( letter from James Crichton-Browne, 16 April 1873 …
- … that illustrated the physiognomy of the disease ( letter to James Crichton-Browne, 30 December 1873 …
- … by an individual could be transmitted to its offspring ( letter from J. T. Moggridge, 1 February …
- … Kepler who was fearful of butchers and butcher’s shops ( letter to Nature , [before 13 February …
- … triggered by smell. Darwin joined the debate, writing to Nature ( letter to Nature , [before …
- … after he had smashed some with his finger ( letter to Nature , [before 3 April 1873] ). …
- … by seeing the corpses of a fellow species” ( letter to Nature , [before 24 July 1873] ). …
- … character traits in families, and the comparative role of nature and nurture by gathering statistics …
- … happiness & enjoyment in life” ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 5 March [1873] ). Darwin worried too …
Darwin’s queries on expression
Summary
When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…
Matches: 19 hits
- … handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller, 22 February …
- … corporal punishment and not the susceptibilities of a moral nature.” Darwin did not typically …
- … Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter dates to see the individual letters …
- … online ahead of schedule as part of the “Darwin and Human Nature” project, funded by the Arts and …
- … Correspondent Letter date Location …
- … Africa)? ] mentioned in JPM Weale letter, but Bowker's answers not found …
- … Woolston, Southampton, England letter to W.E. Darwin shrugging …
- … Square W London, England enclosed in a letter from Henry Maudsley …
- … South Africa possibly included in letter from Mansel Weale …
- … Peradeniya, Ceylon enclosed in letter from G.H.K. Thwaites …
- … Egypt] possibly included in letter(s) from Asa Gray Nile …
- … Lake Wellington, Australia letter to F.J.H. von Mueller nodding, …
- … Hooker, J.D. 5 Sept 1868 Kew, London (about Nagasaki …
- … Abbey Place, London, England letter to Emma Darwin baby expression …
- … Penmaenmawr, Conway, Wales letter to Emma Darwin infant daughter …
- … Square W, London, England Enclosed letter from Dr. C. Browne …
- … W., London, England enclosed in letter from W. W. Reade Hottentots …
- … England (about Australia) encloses letter from Austrialian friend, letter not …
- … forwarded by Smyth; Wilson sent letter to Ferdinand von Mueller Victoria Aborigines …
Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year
Summary
The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…
Matches: 27 hits
- … be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August …
- … pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
- … And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
- … inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October …
- … in such rubbish’, he confided to Joseph Dalton Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 January [1874] …
- … that Mr Williams was ‘a cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). …
- … his, ‘& that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874 …
- … Darwin had allowed ‘a spirit séance’ at his home ( letter from T. G. Appleton, 2 April 1874 ). …
- … edition, published in 1842 ( Correspondence vol. 21, letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 17 …
- … Hooker, and finally borrowed one from Charles Lyell ( letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 8 January …
- … to take so sweetly all the horrid bother of correction’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March …
- … sent an apology for misinterpreting Darwin on this point ( letter from J. D. Dana, 21 July 1874 ); …
- … numbers and sex ratios among the Pitcairn islanders ( letter from William Dealtry, 16 January 1874 …
- … will say that I have pounded the enemy into a jelly’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 14 April 1874 ). …
- … by none but anatomists; and never mind where it goes’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 16 April 1874 ). …
- … the return on subsequent print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 …
- … by the conciseness & clearness of your thought’ ( letter from G. H. Darwin, 20 April 1874 ). …
- … Academy (2 January 1875; see Appendix V, pp. 644–5) . The affair rolled on into January …
- … a source of inspiration. In April, he wrote a letter to Nature, observing that the flowers of …
- … primroses were abundant in each district ( letter to Nature , 18 April [1874] ). He …
- … M. Story-Maskelyne, 4 May 1874 ). In a second letter to Nature , Darwin summarised the …
- … blindfolded from the moment of being hatched ( letter to Nature , 7 and 11 May [1874] ; …
- … with the contraction of Dionaea leaves in Nature (Burdon Sanderson 1874). Hooker also …
- … ). He featured in the scientific worthies series in Nature ( letter to J. N. Lockyer, 13 May …
- … insane, as we all are occasionally’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 5 June [1874] ). The influence of …
- … famous as the Belfast address ( letter from John Tyndall, 5 August 1874 ). It discussed the …
Language: Interview with Gregory Radick
Summary
Darwin made a famous comment about parallels between changes in language and species change. Gregory Radick, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds University, talks about the importance of the development of language to Darwin, what…
Matches: 4 hits
- … of the Fuegians and Fuegian language? 5. What is the impact of Darwin’s writings …
- … conversion, not quite at the deathbed, but in 1881, a letter in which Darwin wrote to a friend of …
- … into this a little bit further, and actually looking at the letter myself, I came to see that this …
- … the correspondence shows just really didn’t happen. 5. What is the impact of Darwin’s …
Darwin in letters, 1879: Tracing roots
Summary
Darwin spent a considerable part of 1879 in the eighteenth century. His journey back in time started when he decided to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an essay on Erasmus’s evolutionary ideas…
Matches: 31 hits
- … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
- … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
- … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
- … many blessings, was finding old age ‘a dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
- … wrinkles one all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 …
- … itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and …
- … office to complete Horace’s marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
- … but they were ‘as nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
- … on your life’s work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
- … to wish Darwin a ‘long and serene evening of life’. This letter crossed with one from Darwin, …
- … the statement ‘In the beginning was carbon’ ( letter from Hermann Müller, 14 February 1879 ). …
- … and others as a journal for presenting a uniform view of nature based on the theory of development …
- … as the ‘organ of “uncultivated materialism”’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 2 June 1879 ]). …
- … up the glory & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 …
- … wholly & shamefully ignorant of my grandfathers life’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 March 1879 …
- … known philosopher and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert …
- … these things with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May …
- … paternal grandparents thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). …
- … heard of him ‘constantly, & always with pride’ ( letter from Reginald Darwin, 29 March 1879 ). …
- … essay might end up ‘interfering with each other’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 27 March 1879 ). Darwin …
- … same man in one volume’, Darwin pointed out to Krause on 5 June , adding that although Krause’s …
- … made such an introduction ‘almost indispensable’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 ). Darwin …
- … everything into ridicule. He hates scientific men’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 May 1879 ). …
- … must be ‘in some degree interesting to the public’ ( letter to Reginald Darwin, 10 April [1879] ). …
- … ‘very tastefully and well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and …
- … beyond his ‘tether’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 , and letter to G. H. Darwin, …
- … Darwin with information, suggestions, and questions. On 5 February, a stonemason, Thomas Maston, …
- … vague probabilities’ ( letter to Nicolai Mengden, 5 June 1879 ). On the very day that Emma …
- … made on scientific grounds. Evidently concerned about the nature of Malcolm Guthrie’s critique of …
- … letter and the image of the frog be published in Nature ( letter to J. N. Lockyer, 4 and 6 …
- … attend to they will not undertake anything fresh of such a nature’, Darwin wrote in reply on 3 May …
Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex
Summary
The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…
Matches: 28 hits
- … in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
- … of changing the races of man’ (Correspondence vol. 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). …
- … book would take the form of a ‘short essay’ on man ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 3 July 1868 ). But …
- … as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
- … would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from Dallas to …
- … of labour to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). …
- … if I try to read a few pages feel fairly nauseated’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 February [1868] ). …
- … reviews. On 7 August 1868 , he wrote him a lengthy letter from the Isle of Wight on the formation …
- … would strike me in the face, but not behind my back’ ( letter to John Murray, 25 February [1868] ) …
- … ignorant article… . It is a disgrace to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] …
- … ‘he is a scamp & I begin to think a veritable ass’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868] …
- … wrote of the colour of duck claws on 17 April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. …
- … from the Maryport Weekly Advertiser headed ‘Freak of Nature’, describing a cross between a …
- … able to throw off thick dictionaries by flexing. On 5 April , Edward Blyth, who had supplied …
- … proved very fruitful. On 1 May , Darwin received a letter from George Cupples, who was encouraged …
- … with the enthusiastic breeder, who apologised in a letter of 11–13 May 1868 for his ‘voluminuous …
- … of science On 27 February , Darwin sent a letter of thanks to the naturalist and …
- … 3 June 1868 ). ‘It was very kind’, Darwin wrote on 5 June , ‘almost heroic, in you to sacrifice …
- … he later added, ‘for it is clear that I have none’ ( letter to J. J. Weir, 30 May [1868] ). …
- … to various classes, a dim ray of light may be gained’ ( letter to H. T. Stainton, 21 February [1868 …
- … as well as of ‘victorious males getting wives’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 25 February [1868] ). …
- … and fastest males. The ‘quieter’ and ‘more retired’ nature of females was remarked upon by other …
- … and Coleoptera on 9 September . Darwin annotated a letter sent on 3 April by Henry Doubleday …
- … for as sure as life he wd find the odour sexual!’ ( letter to A . R. Wallace, 16 September [1868] …
- … distributed it in Japan ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 5 September 1868 ); Edward Wilson, a neighbour …
- … Molendo and Alexander Walther addressed themselves on 5 August to ‘the Reformator of Natural …
- … had sent four letters the previous year, wrote again on 5 October , ‘I am quite distressed that …
- … accounted for many of the hitherto inexplicable phenomena of nature, & that instead of lessening …
Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers
Summary
In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…
Matches: 26 hits
- … book on earthworms, published in October, was a boost. His 5-year-old grandson Bernard, who lived at …
- … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
- … memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for publication in the Journal of Popular …
- … Balfour translated Krause’s account and published it in Nature , and George Romanes wrote such …
- … by early January, the publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. …
- … of leaves that were so original that Darwin sent them to Nature for publication. Darwin, who was …
- … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
- … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
- … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
- … to me that anyone could watch the movements & doubt its nature. But these doubts have led me to …
- … for more suggestions of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March …
- … supposed he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The …
- … dead a work falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). …
- … He was scrupulous in sending any important observations to Nature or incorporating them into his …
- … conversation with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), …
- … add, however little, to the general stock of knowledge’ ( letter to E. W. Bok, 10 May 1881 ). …
- … regular ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
- … any future publication & to acknowledge any criticism’ ( letter to C. G. Semper, 19 July 1881 …
- … there proves that I took a very erroneous view of the nature & capabilities of the Fuegians’ ( …
- … the kindly protection of the high priests of science’ ( letter from Francisco de Arruda Furtado, 29 …
- … scientific material Darwin received, he subscribed to Nature , which he thought ‘an excellent …
- … minds, without being in the least conscious of it’ ( letter to Alexander Agassiz, 5 May 1881 ). …
- … this produced about the year 1840(?) on all our minds’ ( letter to John Lubbock, [18 September 1881 …
- … not only botanical matters but also news about Francis’s 5-year-old son, Bernard. Just ten days …
- … problem: he had been asked to review Wiesner’s book for Nature . ‘It might be an opportunity of …
- … response to Wiesner’s book appeared in the issue of Nature published the day after Darwin’s …
New material added to the American edition of Origin
Summary
A ‘revised and augmented’ American edition of Origin came on the market in July 1860, and was the only authorised edition available in the US until 1873. It incorporated many of the changes Darwin made to the second English edition, but still contained…
Matches: 24 hits
- … Soon after Origin was published, Darwin received a letter from Asa Gray offering to arrange an …
- … Darwin responded favourably to Gray’s proposal in his letter of 21 December [1859] ( Correspondence …
- … had been fixed through the process of stereotyping (see letter from Asa Gray, 23 January [1860] and …
- … of species; Darwin sent this off to Gray enclosed in his letter of [8 or 9 February 1860]. He had …
- … [1860] and 1 February [1860]). A month later, in his letter of 8 March [1860], Darwin sent …
- … (especially that given by Hewett Cottrell Watson in his letter of [3? January 1860]) that Darwin …
- … changes he intended to make in the American edition in the letter to Lyell, 18 [and 19 February 1860 …
- … corrected Second Edition with additional corrections” (letter to Asa Gray, 1 February [1860]). …
- … resulting from three separate printings of Origin (see letter to Asa Gray, 22 May [1860] and …
- … he seems to attribute all the beautiful adaptations in nature,—such as the long neck of the giraffe …
- … in accordance with external circumstances, as food, the nature of the habitat and the meteoric …
- … and beautiful co-adaptations, which we see throughout nature;—I cannot see that we thus gain any …
- … selection. But he does not show how selection can act under nature. He believes, like Dean Herbert, …
- … qu’il doit remplir dans l’organisme général de la nature, fonction qui est pour lui sa raison d’être …
- … affected by circumambient molecules of a particular nature, and thus have given rise to new forms. …
- … or revelation as it is opposed to the general analogy of nature. If, on the other hand, we view …
- … liable to extermination from accidental fluctuations in the nature of seasons and in the number of …
- … and to seize on every ill-occupied place in the economy of nature, that it is quite possible for …
- … would be of actual disservice, as being of a more delicate nature, and more liable to be put out of …
- … propagated for a succession of generations in a state of nature, modification might be effected …
- … Page 79, 2 six lines from bottom, after word ‘‘nature,’’ insert parenthesis—reading the whole …
- … insert in brackets: [natural selection] Page 170, 5 twenty-first line from top, after …
- … great and sudden transition would in fact be effected in the nature of the plant. Pages 293 …
- … of Origin ( Origin 3d ed., pp. 363–6). See also letter from John Lubbock, [after 28 April …
Darwin in letters, 1880: Sensitivity and worms
Summary
‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…
Matches: 21 hits
- … my grandfather’s character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
- … have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
- … delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
- … much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and …
- … modified; but now I much regret that I did not do so’ ( letter to Samuel Butler, 3 January 1880 ). …
- … and ‘decided on laying the matter before the public’ ( letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880 …
- … and uncertain about what to do. He drafted two versions of a letter to the Athen æum , sending …
- … in which he will have the last word’, she warned ( letter from H. E. Litchfield, [1 February 1880] …
- … who will fight to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February …
- … him & given him Darwinophobia? It is a horrid disease’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 February …
- … squashing the ‘mosquito inflated to an elephant’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 9 December 1880 ). …
- … inches of soil as a protection against enemies.’ ‘Your letter … made me open my eyes’, Gray replied …
- … his original description. Darwin was puzzled: ‘If my letter opened your eyes, yours has opened mine …
- … to the same species, should behave so differently.’ ( Letter to Asa Gray, 17 February 1880 .) But …
- … of the plant in its native habitat. He forwarded a letter from a botanist and schoolteacher in …
- … ‘Where is the profit for Author or publisher?’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 20 July 1880 ). ‘I must …
- … money by science, I must now lose some for science’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 21 July 1880 ). The …
- … boundary, the origins of the nervous system, and the nature of ‘sensitivity’. Francis Balfour …
- … without any corresponding structural differentiations’ ( letter from F. M. Balfour, [22 November …
- … In former years I was, also, rarely fit to see anybody’ ( letter to S. H. Haliburton, 13 December …
- … and Expression . He offered detailed comments on 5 February : ‘I should have thought that the …
Darwin’s reading notebooks
Summary
In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…
Matches: 22 hits
- … de Gembloux 1839]. Said to be good by D r L. Lindsay 5 [DAR *119: 1v.] 6 …
- … p. 290 “Thacker” [Thacker 1834–5] p. 291 Athenæum 1839. p. …
- … [Reimarius 1760] The Highlands & Western Isl ds letter to Sir W Scott [MacCulloch 1824 …
- … The Philosoph. of Instinct & Reason by S. Bushnan. Longman. 5 s [Bushnan 1837]—dedicated to L …
- … 1840] [DAR *119: 13] Tucker’s light of Nature [Tucker 1768–78] Johnson …
- … 1834] recommended by Sir. J. Mackintosh J. Long Moral Nature of Man [Long 1747] Novum Organum …
- … Traite Elementair Palæontologie M. Pictet [Pictet 1844–5]— Forbes?? Waterhouse has it— 1844— read …
- … M rs Fry’s Life [Fry 1847] Horace Walpoles letter to C t . of Ossory [Walpole 1848] …
- … [Morton 1839] (Preface) Royal Soc. Aspects of Nature Humboldt [A. von Humboldt 1849]— (d[itt …
- … History of Brazil [R. Southey 1810–19]. Aspects of Nature. Humboldt [A. von Humboldt 1849]. …
- … Asiatic Society ]—contains very little Macleay’s letter to D r Fleming [Macleay 1830] …
- … Lardners 2 nd vol March 16 Gardner’s Music of nature [Gardiner 1832] Life of Haydn …
- … increase of Hab. earth [Linnaeus 1781a]. Wilcke on Police of Nature [Wilcke 1781]. Hoffberg on …
- … May 7 th Skimmed a little of Tucker’s light of nature [Tucker 1768–78]. intolerably prolix …
- … on Travel [Linnaeus 1759]. Biberg on œconomy of nature [Biberg 1759]. Barck on foliation of …
- … 1805] very poor. 20 th Botanic Garden & Temple of Nature [E. Darwin] 1789–91 and 1803] …
- … [Heer 1854].— Hooker has it.— Very important Hookers letter Jan. 1859 Yules Ava [Yule 1858] …
- … of the material from these portfolios is in DAR 205, the letter from William Edward Shuckard to …
- … ( Notebooks , pp. 319–28). 55 The letter was addressed to Nicholas Aylward Vigors …
- … to William Jackson Hooker. See Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [5 or 12 November …
- … 119: 21b Broughton, William Grant. 1832. A letter in vindication of the principles of …
- … by Bekhur to Garoo and the Lake Manasarowara: with a letter from … J. G. Gerard, Esq. …
German poems presented to Darwin
Summary
Experiments in deepest reverence The following poems were enclosed with a photograph album sent as a birthday gift to Charles Darwin by his German and Austrian admirers (see letter from From Emil Rade, [before 16] February 1877). The poems were…
Matches: 8 hits
- … Charles Darwin by his German and Austrian admirers (see letter from From Emil Rade , [before 16 …
- … will ich mich nicht bewähren?” To nature. Cast aside your …
- … you vain dreamers! Looking for peace and quiet in nature? An endless vicious struggle …
- … on a bigger scale? Cast aside your hypocrite mask, Nature! Stop patching yourself up …
- … lift this veil, till I myself do raise it.) Letter from Emil Rade 1 …
- … gewidmete Gedichte sind dem Album besonders beigefügt. 5 Translation …
- … 5 Notes 1. This letter is published in vol. 25 of The …
- … The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to Emil Rade, 16 …
Darwin in letters, 1867: A civilised dispute
Summary
Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The variation of animals and plants under domestication (Variation). The importance of Darwin’s network of correspondents becomes vividly apparent in his work on expression in…
Matches: 28 hits
- … suppose abuse is as good as praise for selling a Book’ ( letter to John Murray, 31 January [1867] …
- … to the printer, but without the additional chapter. In a letter written on 8 February [1867] to …
- … books, Descent and Expression . In the same letter, Darwin revealed the conclusion to his …
- … variation of animals and plants under domestication . In a letter to his son William dated 27 …
- … of his brother’s embryological papers with his first letter to Darwin of 15 March 1867 , although …
- … . Indeed, he told his publisher, John Murray, in a letter of 4 April [1867] , not to send …
- … tell me, at what rate your work will be published’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). This …
- … & sent to him, he may wish to give up the task’ ( letter to Carl Vogt, 12 April [1867] ). …
- … fit person’ to introduce the work to the German public ( letter from J. V. Carus, 15 April 1867 ). …
- … Vogt should translate my book in preference to you’ ( letter to J. V. Carus, 18 April [1867] ). …
- … varieties at the eye, which resulted in a mottled hybrid ( letter from Robert Trail, 5 April 1867 …
- … seems to me, if true, a wonderful physiological fact’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 15 April [1867] ). …
- … it will be a somewhat important step in Biology’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 22 August [1867] ). …
- … if you attack it & me with unparalleled ferocity’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 November [1867] …
- … own discretion; anyhow most ought to be introduced’ ( letter to W. S. Dallas, 8 November [1867] ). …
- … however, & I cannot get on so quickly as I could wish’ (letter from W. S. Dallas, 20 November …
- … In fact, Darwin had been interested in the physical nature of the expression of the emotions in …
- … with me about 27 years old In a letter of 22 February [1867] to Fritz Müller in …
- … chapter on the cause or meaning of Expression.’ With this letter Darwin enclosed a list of questions …
- … ‘Queries about Expression’. In a postscript to the letter he added, ‘But you must not plague …
- … that Darwin send his queries to foreign newspapers. The letter also reveals that he did not share …
- … work in some “supplemental remarks on expression”’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [12–17] March [1867] …
- … of no one to send them to, so do not want any more’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 15 April [1867] ). …
- … might come into play in some circumstances. In a letter of 5 May [1867] , Darwin admitted, …
- … had an adaptive function, arguing instead that beauty in nature was designed by the creator for the …
- … on Emma Darwin’s view, so we are left to wonder about the nature of her criticisms. By June, …
- … would subdue; that is yours’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). Darwin complied, and his …
- … in his own defence, ‘the real cause of delay lies in the nature of the work itself.’ Variation …
Rewriting Origin - the later editions
Summary
For such an iconic work, the text of Origin was far from static. It was a living thing that Darwin continued to shape for the rest of his life, refining his ‘one long argument’ through a further five English editions. Many of his changes were made in…
Matches: 11 hits
- … 1865 4 th English edition published, 1866 5 th English edition published, 1869 …
- … buried Darwin under a blizzard of letters (see especially letter to Charles Lyell, 11 October …
- … getting permission to quote prominently from Kingsley’s letter in the revised summary: A …
- … sufficiently acknowledged earlier work. According to a letter to Asa Gray he had yet to start …
- … an animal’s colour and its immunity to poison (see letter from Jeffries Wyman, [ c . 15] …
- … Joseph Hooker on the Arctic. 4 th to 5 th edition I have, …
- … hitherto slurred it over. In his Christmas Day letter to his old friend Joseph Hooker, …
- … von Nägeli, resulting in a substantial addition ( Origin 5 th ed, pp 151–3). Nägeli had …
- … of significant correspondents. 5 th to 6 th edition …
- … of population increase in elephants in response to a letter published in the Athenaeum by a …
- … French edition which had already begun using the text of the 5 th English edition but had fallen …
Darwin as mentor
Summary
Darwin provided advice, encouragement and praise to his fellow scientific 'labourers' of both sexes. Selected letters Letter 2234 - Darwin to Unidentified, [5 March 1858] Darwin advises that Professor C. P. Smyth’s observations are not…
Matches: 13 hits
- … of both sexes. Selected letters Letter 2234 - Darwin to Unidentified, [5 …
- … sweeping conclusions on insufficient grounds. Letter 3934 - Darwin to Scott, J., [21 …
- … how to make the material worthy of publication. Letter 4185 - Darwin to Scott, J., [25 …
- … indefatigable worker you are!”. Letter 7605 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [20 March …
- … memorial” in memory of the book. Letter 8140 - Darwin to Darwin, W. E., [3 …
- … how he made so many observations without aid. Letter 8146 - Darwin to Treat, M., [5 …
- … “in some well-known scientific journal”. Letter 8171 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L., [21 …
- … that Lucy is worth her weight in gold. Letter 9005b - Darwin to Treat, M., [12 …
- … flies until he had repeated the experiment. Letter 9580 - Darwin to Darwin, G. H. D., …
- … should not yet be submitted to the publisher. Letter 9613 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., …
- … and thinks that it ought to be published. Letter 10523 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 June …
- … in the pursuit of her “admirable work”. Letter 11096 - Darwin to Romanes, G. J., [9 …
- … plants; he has recommended that she send her manuscript to Nature for publication. …
