From J. D. Hooker [4 November 1853]1
Kew
Friday mg.
My dear Darwin
I hope that this may be acceptable news to one who is so high above working for a reward. The R.S. have voted you the Royal Medal for Natural Science—2 All along of the Barnacles!!!3 I am most intensely delighted, infinitely more than you can be, very much on the strength of the Lepadidae too; for you must know that I neither proposed you, nor seconded you; nor voted for you— I was base, perfide— Portlock4 proposed you for the Coral Islands & Lepadidae. Bell5 followed seconding, on the Lepadideae alone, & then, followed such a shout of pæans for the Barnacles that you would have [sunk] to hear. This took place months ago, & the enquiries into each candidate being followed up in the recess we met again twice to hear what each had got to say, especially from foreign evidence. You & your blessed Barnacles came out stronger than ever, & but one competitor had any votes except you i.e. Lindley—6 I proposed Lindley after you were proposed & Wallich7 seconded him, & I am so convinced of the good faith of my brother-counsellors, that the defeat of my man, by of the votes (it would have been by more than had all voters been present) is a source of sincere & impartial unqualified gratification. This you must know is the first year in which the Royal Medals have been thrown open to indiscriminate competition; the candidates not being obliged to have written papers in the Transactions.8
My wife recovers slowly Baby is strong & hearty. Both will I think accept Mrs Darwin’s kind invitation when Frances is quite off the sick list.9
Ever dear Darwin | Yrs affect | J D Hooker
Footnotes
Bibliography
Coral reefs: The structure and distribution of coral reefs. Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1842.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
DNB: Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1912. Dictionary of national biography 1912–90. Edited by H. W. C. Davis et al. 9 vols. London: Oxford University Press. 1927–96.
Fossil Cirripedia (1851): A monograph on the fossil Lepadidæ, or, pedunculated cirripedes of Great Britain. By Charles Darwin. London: Palaeontographical Society. 1851.
Hall, Marie Boas. 1984. All scientists now: the Royal Society in the nineteenth century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Living Cirripedia (1851): A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Lepadidæ; or, pedunculated cirripedes. By Charles Darwin. London: Ray Society. 1851.
South America: Geological observations on South America. Being the third part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1846.
Volcanic islands: Geological observations on the volcanic islands, visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle, together with some brief notices on the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. Being the second part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1844.
Summary
Royal Society votes its Royal Medal for 1853 to CD. JDH reports the debate and vote at the Royal Society Council.
Honoured for Coral reefs
and Cirripedia.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1539
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Kew
- Source of text
- DAR 104: 186–7
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1539,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1539.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5
