Summary

Has sent JDD a copy of Origin; knows it will horrify him, but hopes JDD will credit him with an honest search for truth. Believes that JDD may come to think there is more to be said "in favour of mutability of species than is at first appreciated".

Summary

CD will not write to L. Descaisne to defend his priority over C. V. Naudin.

Feels success of theory depends on acceptance and application by good and well-known workers, like JDH, Huxley, and Lyell.

Summary

Has heard that CL has spoken to John Murray about publication [of Origin]. Encloses prospective title-page. Asks whether he ought to tell John Murray about unorthodoxy of the book.

Summary

CD’s former admiration for Paley’s Natural theology [1802].

Cares not for reviews [of Origin] but for opinions of men like Lubbock, Huxley, Hooker, Lyell.

Summary

Thanks for correction concerning the scarcity of fossil littoral shells.

Summary

Discusses events at Moor Park and domestic matters.

Summary

Further discussion of origin of domestic dog breeds.

Effects of crossing separate races.

Comments on rate of artificial and natural selection.

The origin of pigeon breeds.

Summary

Origin is finished.

Asks for names of foreign speculative naturalists.

Hopes THH will think he is on right road despite errors.

Summary

Suggests HF investigate hippopotamus tooth.

Has heard HF is very antagonistic to his views on species. Cannot believe a false theory would explain so many classes of facts.

Summary

CL’s comments on Origin. Mentions corrections to last chapter suggested by CL.

Comments on lack of peculiar bird species on Madeira and Bermuda. Emphasises importance of American types in Galapagos.

Denies necessity of continued creation of primitive "Monads".

Denies need for new powers and any principle of improvement.

Discusses gradations of intellectual powers.

Adaptive inferiority and extinction of groups of species and genera.

Asserts that climate is less important than the struggle with other organisms.

Suggests an experiment involving primroses and cowslips.

The chapter on hybridisation.

Rudimentary organs.

Gives opinion of Lamarck’s work.

Summary

Reports his observations on the habits of slave-making ants (Formica sanguinea).

Summary

Will forward ARW’s "admirable" paper to Linnean Society ["On the zoological geography of the Malay Archipelago", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.) 4 (1860): 172–84].

Discusses geographical distribution of animals in the Malay Archipelago; relation of distribution to depth of sea between islands.

Relation of Celebes to Africa almost passes belief.

Differs wholly from ARW on colonisation of oceanic islands; does not believe in Forbes’s great continental extensions.

Anticipates Owen’s opposition to their views, but "he is a poor reasoner & deeply considers the good opinion of the world, especially the aristocratic world".

Summary

Discuss CL’s suggestions for revisions to the chapter on the geological record [Origin, ch. 9].

Henry Holland’s reaction to the book.

Comments on CL’s work on flint tools of early men.

Describes at length a conversation with Owen concerning Origin. Notes "that at bottom he goes immense way with us", but emphasises Owen’s unfriendly manner. Remarks that Owen accepted a relationship between bears and whales. "By Jove I believe he thinks a sort of Bear was the grandpapa of Whales!"

Has heard Herschel considered his book "the law of higgledy-piggledy".

Summary

Sends references for materials useful for THH’s lecture.

Breeding and crossing. Pigeon fanciers.

Responses to Origin: A. C. Ramsay, Charles Kingsley, Quatrefages de Bréau.

Summary

Thanks CD for the Origin; AS has read the book "with more pain than pleasure". CD has deserted "the true method of induction" and many of his wide conclusions are "based upon assumptions which can neither be proved nor disproved". His "grand principle – natural selection" is "but a secondary consequence of supposed, or known, primary facts".

Summary

Responds to Owen’s remarks that his book [Origin] is not likely to be true because it attempts to explain so much. CD describes how, for fear this might be so, he resolved to give up the work if he could not convince two or three competent judges. He is sensitive because of unjust things said by a distinguished friend [A. Sedgwick]. Value of his views now depends on men eminent in science.

Summary

Discusses S. S. Haldeman’s paper ["Enumeration of the recent freshwater Mollusca", Boston J. Nat. Hist. 4 (1844): 468–84].

Centres of species origin.

Describes his corrections of Origin.

Summary

Returning from Moor Park. CD will take up proofs of JDH’s Flora Tasmaniae.

Summary

Sends first six chapters [of Origin] for the press. Asks JM to urge printer to keep well ahead of CD so as not to waste time. This is important for his health’s sake.

Summary

Sends a copy of Origin as a measure of his respect and in recognition of the obligation he feels he owes to JFWH’s book [A preliminary discourse on the study of natural philosophy (1831)]. "Scarcely anything in my life made so deep an impression on me."