To W. E. Darwin [25 July 1863]1
Down
Saturday.
My dear William
There can be no doubt that the Anchusa would probably be a very important case for me.2 But would it not be a frightful bore for you to get the plants? Could you not hire a man (& I would pay) at place with spade & make him do the digging & packing for a dozen or score of plants would be heavy. It is a perennial, & though many would die, some would probably live.—3
The Boys return to school on the 12th of August.4 I do hope that you may be able to come before then.—5 It is a bad job Mrs. Atherley being sick.—6 We have Uncle Eras. here,7 & Strickland & Edmund have just gone.8 We have had the Leith Hill people & altogether there has been a very jolly party.9 Over & over again I have been wishing to see your dear old face here with the others. One day they all went to the Frys & had a gorgeous party with about 80 people chiefly from London & dancing on the Lawn & dinner in grand tent, Band, & ices &c &c.10 Another evening they all went to the Bonham Carters for Crocket.—11
This evening we have a party of another kind viz 30 children from the Union for tea & play.12 This evening Uncle Hensleigh & Fanny are coming.—13
George & all the Boys are very jolly. Do come as soon as you can.—
My hobby-horse at present is Tendrils; they are more sensitive to a touch than your finger; & wonderfully crafty & sagacious14
Good Bye my dearest William | Your affect. Father | C. Darwin
If you have time & inclination will you have a look at mid-styled Lythrum & see if you can really recognise difference in general appearance of the Plant. They are now just coming into full flower Perhaps difference is when capsules swollen.15
Footnotes
Bibliography
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.
EB: The Encyclopædia Britannica. A dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information. 11th edition. 29 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1910–11.
Forms of flowers: The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1877.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1978. Charles Darwin: a companion. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Post Office directory of the six home counties: Post Office directory of the six home counties, viz., Essex, Herts, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. London: W. Kelly & Co. 1845–78.
Summary
Relates events at Down;
asks WED to make some observations on Lythrum.
His present hobby-horse is tendrils.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4199
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Erasmus Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 210.6: 112
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4199,” accessed on 14 December 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4199.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11