From T. V. Wollaston [November–December 1857]1
the “ultra-indigenous” ones, but) those which have apparently found their way thither by natural processes, & before the period of colonisation,—regarding those which have arrived through human agencies (whether recently or not) as, in a general sense, “introduced”.—
Therefore in all generalisations (except to prove certain special propositions) I would, as the safer plan, consider the Fauna (as stated in my foot-note) in its 2-fold light,—i.e., as composed of asterisked & unasterisked species (or “imported” & “indigenous”, in a general sense). 2
I was not aware that varieties occurred more in large genera than in small ones,—except from the á priori certainty, that where there are more species to vary, there must naturally be more varieties.—3 I do not know what book to recommend you, about varieties. Stephens is utterly worthless (mere waste paper).4 Perhaps old Gyllenhal’s Ins. Suecica would be your best, for he is a most careful & good describer, & notes his varieties well.5 Some of his “varieties” have perhaps, since his day, been established as species; nevertheless upon the whole he is careful & sound, & usually notices varieties, where they are at all well-marked: & I sd. think therefore as the book is extensive (4 vols.), any deductions from so large a superficies would stand a chance of being correct. 6
1. | perhaps T. lineatus, Sch.7 | 370. | — B. —? |
31. | — O. fuscatus, Dej. | 386. | — C. —? |
36. | — O. aterrimus, Hbst. | 387. | — H. —? |
67. | — B. rufescens, Guèr. | 392. | — L. —? |
69. | — — tibiale, Meg. | 394.— | L. —? |
71. | — — callosum, Küst. | 395. | — L. —? |
81. | — O. punctatus, Steph. | 399. | — P. —? |
178. | — C. fuscula, Humm. | 400. | — P. —? |
179. | — — elongata, Schüpp. | 404. | — C. minutus, F. |
186. | — M. picipes, Payk. | 437. | perhaps H. —? |
197. | — S. setigera, Ill. | 449. | — Blaps clypeata, Germ. |
207. | — T. grandicollis, Germ. | 468. | — M. murinus, Brandt. |
223. | — T. elateroides, Heer | 499. | — H. clientula, Er. |
225. | — E. hœmorrhoum, Germ. | 508. | — O. exoleta, Er. |
226. | — M. brevicollis, Payk. | 509. | — —. cuniculina, Er. |
231. | — D. —? | 526. | — T. pilicornis, Gyll. |
250. | — A. villosam, Bon. | 545. | — P. procerulus, Grav. |
258. | — O. glabriculus, Gyll. | 546. | — A. depressum, Grav. |
261. | — T. —? | 560. | — S. cicindeloides, Grav. |
319. | — L. Juncii, Dahl |
But I must really conclude this perfectly horrid & disreputable scrawl, for I am starting early tom. morning, & have nearly all my packing &c to do. A line here will always find me; but if you have anything to say immediately, “at the Revd. J. F. Dawson’s, Woodlands, Bedford”8 will be my address till Friday. Whilst in Ireland I shall not have much opportunity for writing.
Your’s very sincerely | T V Wollaston.
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Natural selection: Charles Darwin’s Natural selection: being the second part of his big species book written from 1856 to 1858. Edited by R. C. Stauffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1975.
Stephens, James Francis. 1829a. A systematic catalogue of British insects: being an attempt to arrange all the hitherto discovered indigenous insects in accordance with their natural affinities. London: Baldwin and Cradock.
Wollaston, Thomas Vernon. 1857. Catalogue of the coleopterous insects of Madeira in the collection of the British Museum. London: By order of the Trustees.
Wollaston, Thomas Vernon. 1861. On the Atlantic Cossonides. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London n.s. 5 (1858-61): 362–407.
Summary
He was unaware that varieties occurred proportionately more in large genera.
Recommends a work [Leonard Gyllenhaal, Insecta Suecica, 4 vols. (1808–27)] for tabulating varieties.
Lists "close geographical representatives of Europaean species" based on the species numbers [in T. V. Wollaston, Catalogue of the coleopterous insects of Madeira (1857)].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2133
- From
- Thomas Vernon Wollaston
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 16: 223
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp inc †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2133,” accessed on 23 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2133.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6