To ? 31 [May 1875]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
Ap 31
My dear Sir
I received one of your letters dated the 27th this morning, the other one yesterday.2 As I seldom go to London, I had not heard any news of you for several years, & have been glad to receive your letters. I used in former days always to admire your energy & taste for Natural Science; & it appears by your letters that you retain these same powers— I quite agree with you that time by itself can do nothing in the modification of species.3 You refer to the Papaveraceæ; I am aware that they are self fertile; but this does not preclude their being occasionally crossed, tho’ I cannot remember that I have any evidence that the seedling profit by a cross—4 I have lately been working very hard in getting a book ready for the press on Insectivorous Plants, & am much out of health & shall leave home in a very few days so that I am sure you will excuse brevity5
Hoping that your health will soon be established & you will be a free man, I remain
Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Cross and self fertilisation: The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1876.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Insectivorous plants. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.
Origin 6th ed.: The origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 6th edition, with additions and corrections. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Summary
Agrees that time alone can do nothing to modify species.
Is aware that the Papaveraceae are self-fertile but feels this does not preclude an occasional cross.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9960
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Unidentified
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- JU 2 75
- Source of text
- University of Virginia Library, Special Collections (3314 1: 59)
- Physical description
- LS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9960,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9960.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23