From Edward Blyth 22–3 August 1855
Summary
Gives extracts from a letter by Thomas Hutton.
Rabbits are kept (generally by Europeans) in the NW. provinces and breed freely. Canaries are not well adapted to the climate. Reports on domestic cats and pigeons of the area. EB gives references to further information on cats, pigeons, and silkworms.
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this letter.]
| Author: | Edward Blyth |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 22–3 Aug 1855 |
| Classmark: | DAR 98: A79–A84 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1746 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … 25 (1857): 439-49. [Vol. 5] Burnes, Alexander. 1834. Travels into Bokhara. 3 vols. London. …
- … French. 2 vols. London. Jardine, William. 1834. The natural history of the Felinæ. Vol. 3 …
- … brackets in the manuscript. Jardine 1834 , pp. 230–1 and plate 24*, which is entitled ‘ …
- … service in 1855. Royle 1839 , 1: lxv. Burnes 1834 , 2: 179–80. Salt 1814 , Appendix IV, p. …
From Charles Lyell 23 April 1855
Summary
CL would like to put Joachim Barrande on the Royal Society’s foreign list. Of French geologists and palaeontologists, he is the man who has made the greatest sacrifices and produced the greatest results.
| Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 Apr 1855 |
| Classmark: | Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 6: 7) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1672 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 60. Histoire des progrès de la géologie de 1834 à 1845. 8 vols. Paris. Barrande, Joachim, …
From Edward Blyth [22 September 1855]
Summary
Gives extract from a letter from Capt. R. Tickell: rabbits are not bred by the Burmese; common European and Chinese geese are bred but have probably only recently been introduced.
EB gives references to works illustrating the dog-like instinct of N. American wolves.
Discusses reason and instinct; ascribes both to man and animals. Comments on various instincts, e. g. homing, migratory, parental, constructive, and defensive. Reasoning in animals; cattle learning to overcome fear of passing trains.
Hybrid sterility as an indication of distinct species. Interbreeding as an indication of common parentage.
Enlarges upon details given by J. C. Prichard [in The natural history of man (1843)].
Adaptation of the two-humped camel to cold climates. Camel hybrids.
Doubts that domestic fowl or fancy pigeons have ever reverted to the wild.
Feral horses and cattle of S. America.
Believes the "creole pullets" to be a case of inaccurate description.
Variations in skulls between species of wild boar.
Pigs are so prolific that the species might be expected to cross.
Milk production of cows and goats.
Sheep and goats of lower Bengal.
Indian breeds of horses.
Variation in Asiatic elephants.
Spread of American tropical and subtropical plants in the East.
EB distinguishes between races and artificially-produced breeds.
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this memorandum.]
| Author: | Edward Blyth |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [22 Sept 1855] |
| Classmark: | DAR 98: A85–A92 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1755 |
From Edward Blyth 4 August 1855
Summary
Sends a skeleton of a Bengal jungle cock.
Has never heard of trained otters breeding in captivity.
Introduced domestic rabbits are confined to the ports of India.
Canaries and other tame finches and thrushes brought into India do not breed well.
Origin of the domestic canary. Tendency of domesticated birds to produce "top-knot" varieties.
The tame geese of lower Bengal are hybrids; those of upper Bengal are said to be pure Anser cygnoides.
Wild Anser cinereus occur in flocks in the cold season.
Discusses at length different breeds of domestic cats and possible wild progenitors. Wild and domestic cats occasionally interbreed. The Angora variety breeds freely with the common Bengal cat and all stages of intermediates can be found.
Believes pigeons have been bred in India since remote antiquity.
Discusses whether mankind is divided into races or distinct species.
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this letter.]
| Author: | Edward Blyth |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 4 Aug 1855 |
| Classmark: | DAR 98: A69–A78 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1735 |
To T. H. Huxley 31 March [1855]
Summary
Thinks J. O. Westwood deserves Royal Society’s Gold Medal. Asks THH’s opinion of his nomination. Lyell deserves Copley Medal, but, since he has Royal Medal, it may be objectionable to propose him.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
| Date: | 31 Mar [1855] |
| Classmark: | Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 29) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1659 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … Lyell had been awarded the Royal Medal in 1834. He was awarded the Copley Medal, the Royal …
To Leonard Horner 18 [March 1855]
Summary
CD has been a referee for LH’s Nile geology paper [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 145 (1855): 105–38]. Praises the work but offers criticism not in his report: Joseph Russegger’s statement about the baked Upper Sandstone deposit cannot be believed; LH’s paper is too long.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leonard Horner |
| Date: | 18 [Mar 1855] |
| Classmark: | Kinnordy MS (private collection) (Sold at Sotheby’s (dealers), 9 July 2018, lot 373) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1649 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … dans l’Amérique Méridionale (Orbigny 1834–47). CD argued against it in South America , …
From Edward Blyth 21 April 1855
Summary
Indigenous domestic animals of the New World.
Relationship of Newfoundland and Esquimo dogs to the wolf. Dogs like the Esquimo occur in Tibet and Siberia. Indian pariah dogs and jackals occasionally interbreed.
Describes domestic cats of India; reports cases of their interbreeding with wild cats. Wild cats are tamed for hunting.
Races of silkworm in India are crossed [see 1690].
Domesticated plants, fish, and birds of India.
Comments on local races and species of crows; it is impossible to trace a line of demarcation between races and species.
Variation in the ability of hybrids to propagate.
Indian cattle breeds; differences between Bos indicus and Bos taurus.
Is not satisfied that aboriginally wild species of horse and ass exist.
Believes all fancy breeds of pigeon originated in the East. Wild ancestors of pigeons, ducks, geese, and fowls. Interbreeding of wild species of pheasant.
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this letter.]
| Author: | Edward Blyth |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 21 Apr 1855 |
| Classmark: | DAR 98: A57–A68 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1670 |
To Charles Augustus Murray 24 December 1855
Summary
CD has "for many years been working on the perplexed subject of the origin of varieties & species".
Asks CAM if he can help procure skins of domestic pigeons, poultry, ducks, and rabbits from Persia. Gives general instructions for anyone he might employ to obtain skins.
CD would also welcome descriptions of the larger, native quadrupeds.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Augustus Murray |
| Date: | 24 Dec 1855 |
| Classmark: | Arthur Houghton Jr (private collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1798 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … Travels in North America during the years 1834, 1835, & 1836. Including a summer residence …
| letter | (8) |
| Blyth, Edward | (4) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (3) |
| Lyell, Charles | (1) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (5) |
| Horner, Leonard | (1) |
| Huxley, T. H. | (1) |
| Murray, C. A. | (1) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (8) |
| Blyth, Edward | (4) |
| Horner, Leonard | (1) |
| Huxley, T. H. | (1) |
| Lyell, Charles | (1) |
Titus Coan
Summary
In 1874, when Darwin was preparing the second edition of Descent of Man, he received letters from all over the world in reply to his queries about human behaviour; one in particular would have stirred up unexpected memories of his own time among the native…
Darwin’s earthquakes
Summary
Darwin experienced his first earthquake in 1834, but it was a few months later that he was really confronted with their power. Travelling north along the coast of Chile, Darwin and Robert FitzRoy, captain of HMS Beagle, were confronted with a series of…
Diagrams and drawings in letters
Summary
Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…
Matches: 1 hits
- … and San Fernando, Chile, [28 August – 5 September 1834] CD to W. A. Leighton: map of …
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: 29 hits
- … of useful knowledge Horse, cow, sheep [Youatt 1831, 1834, 1837]. Verey Philosophie d’Hist. …
- … d[itt]o [T. S. B. Raffles 1817] Buffon Suites [Buffon 1834–74]. Much on Geograph. Distrib. …
- … of quadrupeds of the Dekhan [Sykes 1832a] & Birds [Sykes 1834]. Zoolog. Proceedings & …
- … Hunt 1806] p. 290 “Thacker” [Thacker 1834–5] p. 291 …
- … Physiolog. & treats on origin & formation of Varieties [Lord 1834] Royle on Indian …
- … 1825–36].— Butler. 3. first sermons [Butler 1834] recommended by Sir. J. Mackintosh J. …
- … 1835]: Lacordaire Introduction Entomologique [Lacordaire 1834–8]: Reptiles [Duméril and Bibron 1834 …
- … 1784] Duke of Wellington’s Dispatches [Wellesley 1834–9] Carlyles Oliver Cromwell …
- … Vol. on Peacocks & Pheasants [Jardine ed. 1834] read Vol. (2 d ) on Dogs [C. H. …
- … Hort. Soc. Hooker? Rogets Bridgewater Treatise [Roget 1834]: very good, abortive organs read …
- … der Königlichen Akad: der Wissen: Aus dem Jahre 1834.— Berlin 1836.— “Vergleich: Anat der Myxinoiden …
- … Kangaroos [Gould 1841–2]— Birds of Himalaya [Gould 1834] (& of Europe?) [Gould 1832–7] & of …
- … Bernhardi Ueber den Begriff der Pflanzenart [Bernhardi 1834] (M. Gerard. experiments on species …
- … lettered, (pub. at 6 s per vol.) reduced to 5 s 1834–43 1. Humming Birds, Vol. 1 …
- … Life of Wesley [R. Southey 1820].— The Doctor [R. Southey 1834–47]. The Book of the Church [R. …
- … Reference at end D r Lang’s Australia [Lang 1834]— Trash skimmed Macleay’s Hora …
- … 1792] —Rev. A. Wells Lectures on Instinct [Wells 1834] Cline on the breeding of …
- … 10 th . Blackwalls Researches in Zoology [Blackwall 1834]— d[itt]o d[itt]o d[itt]o. d[itt]o. …
- … th . Cattle. Library of Useful Knowledge—Youatt [Youatt 1834] References at end April 13 th …
- … [Boswell 1831] Philip Van Artevelde [H. Taylor 1834]. reread Macaulay Art. on Bacon in …
- … moderate Feb. 7 th Sartor Resartus [Carlyle 1834] excellent March 5 Hume Hist. Engl …
- … Meyens Reisen in Chile [Meyen 1834–5] Dec 1 st . Jesse Gleanings [Jesse 1832 …
- … 15b] 1844 & 5 Burne’s Bokhara (3. vols) [Burnes 1834] Nov. 20 Liebig’s familiar …
- … in Norway [Laing 1836] —— Burnes Cabool [Burnes 1834] —— Southeys Thaleba [R. W. …
- … Oct. 20 th Lewis Journal in W. Indies [M. G. Lewis 1834] Nov 7. Life of Lavater [?Heisch …
- … 14 th Wellington Despatches Vol I. II. III [Wellesley 1834–9] Dec 12 th The Emigrant by …
- … of Crustacea 3 d Tom. of Suite de Buffon [Milne-Edwards 1834–40]. March 5 th St. John’s …
- … [Sageret 1830] 19 th Abhand. Konig. Ak. Berlin. 1834. Müller on Myxine [Müller 1837] …
- … Feb 8 IV, V & VI vols of Wellington Despatches [Wellesley 1834–9] —— 17 th Arts & …
Conrad Martens
Summary
Conrad Martens was born in London, the son of an Austrian diplomat. He studied landscape painting under the watercolourist Copley Fielding (1789–1855), who also briefly taught Ruskin. In 1833 he was on board the Hyacinth, headed for India, but en route in…
Matches: 4 hits
- … Beagle crew in July 1833; he stayed with them until July 1834, when FitzRoy sold the Beagle & …
- … are dated, and the book remained in use until early February 1834. Sketchbook I measures …
- … most part the right hand page. The sketches begin in April 1834, with the exception of the very …
- … of a set made after their arrival in Valparaiso in August 1834. …
Dining at Down House
Summary
Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Dining, Digestion, and Darwin's Domestic Life While Darwin is best remembered for his scientific accomplishments, he greatly valued and was strongly influenced by his domestic life. Darwin's…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Letter 259 —Charles Darwin to Caroline Darwin, 13 October 1834 Darwin’s ill health began …
Books on the Beagle
Summary
The Beagle was a sort of floating library. Find out what Darwin and his shipmates read here.
Matches: 16 hits
- … Nouvelles Annales du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle 3 (1834): 84–115. (DAR 37.1: 677v.; letter to J. …
- … Cambridge, 1833. (Letter to Charles Whitley, 23 July 1834). ‘Philosophical tracts’, Darwin …
- … 1832 . London, 1833. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, March 1834 and letter from J. S. Henslow, 31 …
- … 77) Greenough, George Bellas. Anniversary address (1834). Proceedings of the Geological …
- … 30.1: 13v.; letter to J. S. Henslow, 24 July – 7 November 1834). Darwin Library–CUL †. La …
- … Darwin’; letter to J. S. Henslow, 24 July – 7 November 1834). Darwin Library–CUL † (vols. 1 and 2). …
- … 1826. (DAR 31.2: 319; letter to Robert Fitzroy, 28 August 1834). Darwin Library–CUL †. Milton …
- … 2. Madrid, 1795. (Inscription: ‘Charles Darwin Valparaiso 1834’). Darwin Library–CUL ††. * …
- … 1694. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, 24 July – 7 November 1834). § New Testament (Greek). ( …
- … . . . London, 1816. (Letter from J. S. Henslow, 22 July 1834; Red notebook , p. 89). Darwin …
- … 209–17. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, 24 July – 7 November 1834). ‡ Syme, Patrick. Werner’s …
- … performed in H.M. Sloop Chanticleer . . . 2 vols. London, 1834. (DAR 32.1: 7; Red notebook , p. …
- … 123 (1833): 147–236. (Letter to J. S. Henslow, March 1834; Narrative 2 (Appendix): 227). …
- … Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 1 (1834): 21–6. (DAR 35.2: 357). Carne, …
- … Transactions of the Royal Society of London 126 (1834): 365–88. ( Red notebook , p. 24; CD refers …
- … United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine 3 (1834): 215–26. ( Red notebook , p. 27) …
Scientific Networks
Summary
Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…
Darwin in letters, 1837–1843: The London years to 'natural selection'
Summary
The seven-year period following Darwin's return to England from the Beagle voyage was one of extraordinary activity and productivity in which he became recognised as a naturalist of outstanding ability, as an author and editor, and as a professional…
Matches: 1 hits
- … early years occur after a serious illness at Valparaiso in 1834, when he was incapacitated for …
Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small
Summary
In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…
Matches: 1 hits
- … detailed map that he used to travel inland from Santiago in 1834, making observations of geological …
People featured in the Dutch photograph album
Summary
Here is a list of people that appeared in the photograph album Darwin received for his birthday on 12 February 1877 from scientific admirers in the Netherlands. Many thanks to Hester Loeff for identifying and researching them. No. …
Matches: 5 hits
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: 1 hits
- … Botanic Gardens, Kew, Letters to J. D. Hooker, vol. 14, doc. 183–4). 15. Letter from T. H …
People featured in the Dutch photograph album
Summary
List of people appearing in the photograph album Darwin received from scientific admirers in the Netherlands for his birthday on 12 February 1877. We are grateful to Hester Loeff for providing this list and for permission to make her research available.…
Matches: 5 hits
Chile
Summary
The Beagle arrives at the island of Chiloé, Chile
Matches: 1 hits
- … The Beagle arrives at the island of Chiloé, Chile …
Bibliography of Darwin’s geological publications
Summary
This list includes papers read by Darwin to the Geological Society of London, his books on the geology of the Beagle voyage, and other publications on geological topics. Author-date citations refer to entries in the Darwin Correspondence Project’s…
Matches: 1 hits
- … and west coasts of South America, in the years 1832, 1833, 1834, and 1835, with an account of a …
The Andes
Summary
Darwin goes on a geological expedition in the Andes
Matches: 1 hits
- … Darwin goes on a geological expedition in the Andes …
Richard Henry Corfield
Summary
Richard Henry Corfield was in his final year at Shrewsbury School when Darwin started there. It’s hard to say how well they knew each other, but fifteen years later Corfield appeared again in Darwin’s life as a surprisingly familiar face on the other side…
Matches: 1 hits
- … the world. For when Darwin arrived in Valparaiso, Chile, in 1834, Corfield was living there and …
Cordillera Beagle expedition
Summary
To mark the completion of the Darwin Project and the 214th anniversary of Darwin's birth, use our new interactive to explore 3D images of the rocks Darwin collected on a Beagle voyage inland expedition in the foothills of the Andes in 1834.
Matches: 1 hits
- … the Andes Darwin made on horseback in August and September 1834. Find out about the people and …
4.28 'English celebrities' montage
Summary
< Back to Introduction One of the stranger appropriations of Elliott and Fry’s portrayal of Darwin was to make him one of a group of ‘Authors’, in an album titled English Celebrities, 19th Century (1876). Fiction writers and scientists were grouped…
Matches: 1 hits
- … deceased when the image was published – Lamb died in 1834, before the dawn of photography – and the …
Robert FitzRoy
Summary
Robert FitzRoy was captain of HMS Beagle when Darwin was aboard. From 1831 to 1836 the two men lived in the closest proximity, their relationship revealed by the letters they exchanged while Darwin left the ship to explore the countries visited during the…
