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To W. E. Darwin [5 May 1859]
Summary
Discusses WED’s plans for the summer.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Date: | [5 May 1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.6: 43 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2442 |
To J. D. Hooker 3 May [1859]
Summary
CD favours occurrence of reversions, although lack of experiments forces one to vague opinions. Reversions oppose only the inheritance not the occurrence of variation. Discusses relation of reversion, direct influence of conditions, and selection.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 3 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 13 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2457 |
From Whitwell Elwin to John Murray 3 May 1859
Summary
Charles Lyell has asked WE to pass his opinions on the MS of Origin to CD via Murray. WE is convinced of the value of CD’s researches but "to put forth the theory without the evidence", as in the MS, "would do grievous injustice to his views". The omission of these facts reduces both the philosophical and popular value of the work, by virtue of its dryness.
Supports Charles Lyell’s suggestion that CD should first publish his observations on pigeons with a theoretical outline, for "[e]very body is interested in pigeons". Such a work would generate wider interest and be better understood. A subsequent, larger book would then be approached with impartiality "not to say favour" by a wider public.
| Author: | Whitwell Elwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 3 May 1859 |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms. 42197) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2457A |
To J. D. Hooker 6 May [1859]
Summary
JDH’s comments on style of Origin MS leave CD confused.
CD advises on how to get Acacia to set seed.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 6 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 14 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2458 |
To John Murray 6 May [1859]
Summary
CD is convinced that the suggestions [for the Origin?] of both Lyell and Whitwell Elwyn are impracticable.
Will send first six chapters of MS next week. Has taken such pains with it that he hopes corrections will not be heavy.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 6 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42152 ff.57–57A) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2459 |
To John Murray 10 May [1859]
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.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 10 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42153 ff.56–57) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2460 |
To J. D. Hooker 11 May [1859]
Summary
JDH finds style of CD’s MS obscure.
CD wary of JDH’s starting point on variability: it is not inherent, it does not lead necessarily to divergence, and it must be distinguished from inheritance.
Asa Gray has misread CD’s views on pre-glacial migrations and botched the subject.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 11 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 15 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2461 |
To John Murray 14 May [1859]
Summary
Approves specimen sheet [of Origin]. Sorry book will be so long. Has now written half of last chapter; it is as long as his estimate of the entire chapter. Now thinks it will run to 6000 or 7000 words. Will do his utmost to improve his style. Anxious to publish soon; he knows of two men already writing on the subject, starting from his Linnean Society paper ["On the tendency of species to form varieties", Collected papers 2: 3–19]. Will send a diagram for the book.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 14 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42152 ff.40–40A) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2462 |
To J. D. Hooker 18 [May 1859]
Summary
Too ill to examine proofs of JDH’s Flora Tasmaniae [The botany of the Antarctic voyage, pt III].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 18 [May 1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 16 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2463 |
To John Murray 18 May [1859]
Summary
His health has suddenly failed. He is leaving home for one week’s rest.
Has informed William Clowes that he will begin correcting on the 27th.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 18 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | John Wilson (dealer) (no date) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2463A |
To J. D. Hooker [26 May 1859]
Summary
Returning from Moor Park. CD will take up proofs of JDH’s Flora Tasmaniae.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | [26 May 1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 17 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2464 |
To John Murray 31 May [1859]
Summary
CD’s diagram [for chapter on "Divergence of character", Origin] is indispensable.
Finds he will have to make many corrections, his text is so obscure.
A week of hydropathy at Moor Park has done him a world of good.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Murray |
| Date: | 31 May [1859] |
| Classmark: | National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42152 ff.41–42) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2465 |
Author
| Darwin, C. R. | (11) |
| Elwin, Whitwell | (1) |
Addressee
| Murray, John (b) | (6) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (5) |
| Darwin, W. E. | (1) |
Correspondent
| Darwin, C. R. | (11) |
| Murray, John (b) | (6) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (5) |
| Darwin, W. E. | (1) |
| Elwin, Whitwell | (1) |
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111 Items
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: 6 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 …
- … 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. …
My most solemn request: To Emma Darwin, 5 July 1844
Summary
Alistair Sponsel talks about a touching letter Darwin sent to his wife Emma in 1844. Having just completed a sketch of his species theory, Darwin wrote detailed instructions about what to do with his manuscript in the event of his death.
Matches: 1 hits
- … Alistair Sponsel talks about a touching letter Darwin sent to his wife Emma in 1844. Having …
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: 22 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 …
- … 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] ). …
- … 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 …
- … change of species by descent put him ‘into despair’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 11 May [1863] ). In the …
- … disaffected towards Lyell and his book. In a February letter to the Athenæum , a weekly review of …
- … find great difficulty in answering Owen unaided ’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] …
- … of so much of Lyell’s book being written by others’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] …
- … is wretched to see men fighting so for a little fame’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1863] ). …
- … overt act, and I shall watch for a fitting opportunity’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 5 [and 6] …
- … 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 …
- … honours like the Copley Medal ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 [December 1863] ). Plants and …
- … reminder of their loss (see Correspondence vol. 5). Unable to find Annie’s gravestone in 1863, …
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 …
- … wrote offering Arthur May’s drawings shortly afterwards ( letter from Samuel Butler to Francis …
- … 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 …
- … he has moved one or two of them into his bedroom. Letter 5602 - Sutton, S. to …
- … 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
- … Aestivus (hay-fever or hay-asthma). And on 5 July 1873 Darwin wrote again, saying: ‘The …
- … 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 Fantastical Voyage
Summary
Learn about Darwin's adventures on his epic journey.
Matches: 1 hits
- … These activities explore Darwin’s life changing voyage aboard HMS Beagle. Using letters home, …
The Lyell–Lubbock dispute
Summary
In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book Prehistoric times, accused Lyell of plagiarism. The dispute caused great dismay among many of their mutual scientific friends, some of whom took immediate action…
Matches: 22 hits
- … species such as the mammoth ( Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 4 May [1860] and n. …
- … in Danish (Morlot 1859, Forchhammer et al. 1851–5); Lubbock cited Morlot as the source of many …
- … Galton. In February 1863, Lubbock received a letter from Lyell, evidently in response …
- … work in the Brixham cave explorations of 1858 and 1859. 5 Another controversy arose when …
- … about Lyell’s failure to support him. In April 1863, in a letter to the Athenæum , he discussed a …
- … transmutation; he also wrote to Lyell telling him about the letter to the Athenæum . 9 …
- … 1863b, p. 213). In May 1864, Lubbock received a letter from Falconer, who reiterated his …
- … and went on to say that he intended to make a copy of his letter to show to friends. 18 In …
- … wrote to Darwin to ask what he thought of the affair ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [2 June 1865] ). …
- … he reiterated his admiration for Lubbock’s book ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [4 June 1865] ). A week …
- … in the dispute. When Hooker pressed him for an opinion ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 July 1865 ), …
- … with Huxley in June and July and had seen Huxley’s letter to Hooker about the affair, 24 he …
- … reluctantly agreed to delete his own note. In his last letter to Huxley dealing with the affair, he …
- … 30 However, two weeks later, in his last letter to Hooker on the matter, Lubbock’s tone was …
- … analysis of the situation was succinct. In his letter to Hooker of [4 June 1865] he warned that …
- … third edition of Antiquity of man (C. Lyell 1863c; see letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 June 1865 …
- … written in Swedish, he gave me an abstract for my use, in a letter dated December 1859. He referred …
- … 1983, Stocking 1987, and Van Riper 1993. 2. Letter from Charles Lyell to John Lubbock, 20 …
- … editions of Antiquity of man , see Grayson 1985. 5. For two interpretations of Hugh …
- … pp. 154–9. 7. See Correspondence vol. 11, letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February …
- … 1973. 8. See Correspondence vol. 11, letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] and …
- … 1865 (University of Edinburgh, Lyell 1, Gen. 113: 3644–5). 17. Rough notes for letter …
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: 17 hits
- … handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller, 22 February …
- … Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter dates to see the individual letters …
- … 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 …
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, 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 …
- … 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 …
- … he pretended, ‘but the subject has amused me’ ( letter to W. C. McIntosh, 18 June 1880 ). Members …
- … and Expression . He offered detailed comments on 5 February : ‘I should have thought that the …
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: 29 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. …
- … 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] ). …
- … of females was remarked upon by other entomologists ( letter from Roland Trimen, 20 February 1868 …
- … 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] …
- … George Robert Crotch, writing to his mother Emma in a letter dated [after 16 October 1868] : ‘I …
- … box of preparations to papa … I will write a less beetley letter soon.’ Other relations …
- … present had taken no particular interest in the dyed hen ( letter from Harrison Weir, 28 March 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 …
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: 28 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 ). …
- … 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 …
- … ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 July [1879] ). …
- … telling, and he regretted going beyond his ‘tether’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 …
- … 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 …
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 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 …
- … 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] ). …
- … for the year 1867. In his 15 April [1867] letter to Gray , Darwin commented, ‘I have been …
- … further ( Variation 2: 75). In notes for his reply to a letter from Edward Blyth dated 19 …
- … on sexual differences in mammals and birds. In his letter to Fritz Müller of 22 February [1867] , …
- … topic on a theoretical level was Alfred Russel Wallace. In a letter to Wallace written on 23 …
- … might come into play in some circumstances. In a letter of 5 May [1867] , Darwin admitted, …
- … would subdue; that is yours’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). Darwin complied, and his …
Darwin’s hothouse and lists of hothouse plants
Summary
Darwin became increasingly involved in botanical experiments in the years after the publication of Origin. The building of a small hothouse - a heated greenhouse - early in 1863 greatly increased the range of plants that he could keep for scientific…
Matches: 27 hits
- … purposes’ (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter to J. D. Hooker, 24 December [1862] , and …
- … account book (Down House MS) and Correspondence vol. 5, letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 April [1855 …
- … its sensitivity to touch (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December …
- … his employer’s hothouses over the previous two years. In a letter of 24 December [1862] ( …
- … he had had, he would ‘probably have made a mess of it’ (letter to G. H. Turnbull, [16? February …
- … adding ‘I shall keep to curious & experimental plants’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January …
- … of Westerham, with whom he had dealt over many years. In his letter to Hooker, Darwin mentioned that …
- … of the plants you want before going to Nurserymen’ (letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 January 1863] ) …
- … I shall avoid[,] of course I must not have from Kew’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 30 January [1863] ) …
- … him: ‘I long to stock it, just like a school-boy’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 15 February [1863] ). …
- … which I wished for, but which I did not like to ask for’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, [21 February …
- … in a particular mixture of moss, peat, and charcoal (see the letter from Henrietta Emma Darwin to …
- … of his plants, proffering further advice on cultivation (see letter from J. D. Hooker, [6 March …
- … sh d . not see such transcendent beauty in each leaf’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February …
- … to envision the tropics (see Correspondence vol. 1, letter to Caroline Darwin, [28 April 1831] …
- … to which they belonged. In his letter to Hooker of 5 March [1863] , he announced that the plants …
- … by Darwin; these lists are in DAR 255: 8 and DAR 255: 2–5. The first is a list that Darwin …
- … plants sent to him by Hooker (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863] ), since many of the …
- … to Darwin from Kew. Darwin said in the letter to Hooker of 5 March [1863] that he had received …
- … Malpighia urens 5 …
- … —— speciosa 5 do. do. …
- … § Gongora atropurpurea 5 § Cyrtopodium Andersonii …
- … § —— maculata 5 —— punctata 10 …
- … Anoectochilus argenteus 12 5 s . § …
- … curassavica. 4. Canna Warszewiczii. 5. ‘speciosa’ deleted in pencil. 6. This …
- … 1863a, p. 10. See also letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] and n. 19. 9. …
- … aurantiaca 12. ‘Anoectochilus argenteus 5 s .’ deleted in ink. 13. ‘—— pictus 8 …
Abstract of Darwin’s theory
Summary
There are two extant versions of the abstract of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. One was sent to Asa Gray on 5 September 1857, enclosed with a letter of the same date (see Correspondence vol. 6, letter to Asa Gray, 5 September [1857] and enclosure).…
Matches: 7 hits
- … theory of natural selection. One was sent to Asa Gray on 5 September 1857, enclosed with a letter of …
- … includes minor alterations and corrections by Darwin. The letter and enclosure are in Gray’s …
- … J. D. Hooker, [29 June 1858] and [29 June 1858] ; and letter from Charles Lyell and J. D. …
- … noted. For CD’s work on the proof-sheets of the paper, see letter from J. D. Hooker, 13–15 July …
- … & occasional selection has been the main agent in making 5 our domestic races. But, however, …
- … any way useful to it, during any part of its life. (5) Multiform difficulties will occur to …
- … was changed from ‘C.D.’ to ‘C. Darwin’. See letter to J. D. Hooker, [29 June 1858] . The verso of …
Darwin in letters, 1847-1850: Microscopes and barnacles
Summary
Darwin's study of barnacles, begun in 1844, took him eight years to complete. The correspondence reveals how his interest in a species found during the Beagle voyage developed into an investigation of the comparative anatomy of other cirripedes and…
Matches: 15 hits
- … hurrah for my species-work’ ( Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [5 or 12 November …
- … William Herschel, to write the chapter on geology ( letter to J. F. W. Herschel, 4 February [1848] …
- … by Darwin on the use of microscopes on board ship ( see letter to Richard Owen, [26 March 1848] ). …
- … to Milne directly, he sent a long rejoinder in the form of a letter for publication in the Scotsman. …
- … asked for it to be destroyed. Only the draft of Darwin’s letter remains ( letter to the Scotsman …
- … that his original fieldwork was ‘time thrown away’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 8 [September 1847] ) …
- … that it would be a ‘thorn in the side of É de B.’ (letter to Charles Lyell, 3 January 1850 ). …
- … marine invertebrates himself (see Correspondence vol. 2, letter to Leonard Jenyns, 10 April [1837]) …
- … opinion that such a monograph was a ‘desideratum’ ( letter to J. L. R. Agassiz, 22 October 1848 ), …
- … abortive stamens or pistils ( Correspondence vol. 2, letter from J. S. Henslow, 21 November …
- … care what you say, my species theory is all gospel.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 10 May 1848 ). …
- … sacrifice the rule of priority for the sake of expedience ( letter to H. E. Strickland, [4 February …
- … it as ‘the greatest curse to natural History’ ( letter to H. E. Strickland, 29 January [1849] ). …
- … Museum of Zoology, has been transcribed with Darwin’s letter to H. E. Strickland, 29 January [1849 …
- … the battle, he gave up only from fatigue and ill health ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 9 April 1849 ). …
Darwin in letters, 1862: A multiplicity of experiments
Summary
1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments…
Matches: 29 hits
- … but really I do think you have a good right to be so’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 and] 20 …
- … species. Darwin attempted to dissuade him from this view ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 14 [January 1862 …
- … partially sterile together. He failed. Huxley replied ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 January 1862 …
- … and pronounced them ‘simply perfect’, but continued ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 18 December [1862] ) …
- … resigned to their difference of opinion, but complained ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 28 December [1862 …
- … letters, Darwin, impressed, gave him the commission ( see letter to John Scott, 11 December [1862] …
- … protégé, telling Hooker: ‘he is no common man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ). …
- … Towards the end of the year, he wrote to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ): …
- … and added, ‘new cases are tumbling in almost daily’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 22 January [1862] ). In …
- … hopeful, became increasingly frustrated, telling Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 March [1862] ) …
- … on the problem: ‘the labour is great’, he told Gray ( letter to Asa Gray, 10–20 June [1862] ), ‘I …
- … resulted from his ‘ enormous labour over them’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 [October 1862] ; …
- … Oliver: ‘I can see at least 3 classes of dimorphism’ ( letter to Daniel Oliver, 12 [April 1862] ), …
- … result once out of four or five sets of experiments’ ( letter to M. T. Masters, 24 July [1862] ). …
- … one species may be said to be generically distinct’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 14 July [1862] ). The …
- … and determined to publish on Linum ‘at once’ ( letter to John Scott, 11 December [1862] ), …
- … d . like to make out this wonderfully complex case—’ ( letter to Daniel Oliver, 29 [July 1862] ). …
- … The case clearly excited Darwin, who exclaimed to Gray ( letter to Asa Gray, 9 August [1862] ), ‘I …
- … that the case warranted a paper for the Linnean Society ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 6 October [1862] …
- … that had given him ‘great pleasure to ride’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 22 January [1862] ). But he …
- … know not in the least , whether the Book will sell’ ( letter to John Murray, 9 [February 1862] …
- … govern the structure of almost every flower’ ( letter to Daniel Oliver, 8 June [1862] ). …
- … so doubtful about anything I published’, he told Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 15 [May 1862] ). …
- … May, and George Bentham pronounced it ‘most valuable’ (letter from George Bentham, 15 May 1862). …
- … in writing the book, it was, after all, ‘a success’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 30 [June 1862] ). …
- … power of natural selection. He made the point to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 March [1862] …
- … the truth of natural selection through the back door ( letter to Asa Gray, 23[–4] July [1862] ). …
- … ‘nearly overcome his opposition to the Origin ’ ( letter from Asa Gray, 2–3 July 1862 ). …
- … [2–3 August 1862] , and letter from W. E. Darwin, 5 August 1862 ). Botany is a new …
'An Appeal' against animal cruelty
Summary
The four-page pamphlet transcribed below and entitled 'An Appeal', was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [29 September 1863]). The pamphlet, which protested against the cruelty of steel vermin…
Matches: 16 hits
- … was composed jointly by Emma and Charles Darwin (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox, [29 …
- … of the pamphlet in August and September 1863 (see letter from G. B. Sowerby Jr to Emma Darwin, 22 …
- … 1863, pp. 821–2, under the title `Vermin and traps' ( Letter no. 4282). The wording of the …
- … and to 'a good many persons Squires Ladies & MPs' (see letter from Emma Darwin to W. D …
- … more success with the campaign than she expected (see the letter from Emma Darwin to William Erasmus …
- … s. 6 d. for distributing the 'cruelty pamphlet', and letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. …
- … involved no more cruelty than the possible alternatives (see letter from E. L. Darwin, 7 September …
- … to the RSPCA in 1852 for working horses with sore necks (see letter from Emma Darwin to William …
- … threatened to report a similar case of cruelty in 1866 (see letter to [Local landowner], [1866], …
- … a boy and as a young naturalist ( Autobiography , pp. 44, 54–5, 78, and Correspondence vol. 2, …
- … Autobiography , pp. 78–9, Correspondence vol. 7, letter to W. E. Darwin, 22 [September 1858], …
- … was passed in 1822, 1835, and 1849 (see nn. 1 and 5, below) to prevent cruelty to farm animals, and …
- … and cock-fighting have rightly been put down by law; 5 I hope it may never be said that …
- … Gardeners’ Chronicle , 29 August 1863, pp. 821–2 ( Letter no. 4282). The woodcut was arranged …
- … is to William Howitt; the quotation is taken from Howitt"s letter to the Morning Star , 8 …
- … Gardeners’ Chronicle , 29 August 1863, pp. 821–2 ( Letter no. 4282). 7 Edward Strong …
