From Asa Gray 12 November 1876
Herbarium of Harvard University, | Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.
Nov. 12 1876
New Book, p. 4. foot-note.
The reference in last line to pp. 824 & 844— appear to be wrong—
For | p. 824 | read | 828 |
" | 844 | " | 845, |
if that is the one meant. But that is not a communication from you!1
Dear Darwin
Many thanks for your prompt attention to my request. The sheets, to p. 192 came duly.2 I wanted a subject for my turn at our private scientific social club (established when I came to Cambridge 34 years ago—in which I have had many a bout with Agassiz.);3 but hearing you had not got on far in printing or that I should not get the sheets in time to study them, I effected an exchange—and so shall be ready to give my colleagues another dose of Darwinism about the middle of December—by which time I hope to have all the sheets.
Consequently, my hands being full, I have as yet read only the introduction. This is far from dull. The dullness you deprecate I may find in the details of experiments and statistical matter—never lively reading for one so poor at figures as I am. Of course I shall give my best attention to the discussion which is to follow.
It is most amusing to read what you write of “licking a horrid bad style into intelligible English”.4 Over here we are accustomed to hear your style spoken and written of, as being as faultless as your temper.
I am driving away at Synoptical Flora N. America and have just finished a monograph of our species of Asclepias5
Mrs. Gray6 and I are very well and send united kind remembrances to Mrs. Darwin and yourself.
Glad you are doing the Orchid-book over. You sent me the advanced sheets of the original edition. Better do the same with the new, and I can be early out with a book-notice of it.—7 That sort of thing I can now do only in snatches.
Sincerely Yours | Asa Gray
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.
Dupree, Anderson Hunter. 1959. Asa Gray, 1810–1888. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University.
‘Fertilization of papilionaceous flowers’: On the agency of bees in the fertilization of papilionaceous flowers, and on the crossing of kidney beans. By Charles Darwin. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3d ser. 2 (1858): 459–65. [Shorter publications, pp. 272–7.]
Gray, Asa. 1878–84. Synoptical flora of North America. 2 vols. New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co.
Orchids 2d ed.: The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition, revised. London: John Murray. 1877.
Summary
Thanks for sheets of new book. Intends to talk about it at a scientific social club meeting.
Is amused to read CD’s criticisms of his own style, as in the U. S. it is spoken of as being as faultless as his temper. Corrects a reference.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10668
- From
- Asa Gray
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Herbarium of Harvard
- Source of text
- DAR 165: 191
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10668,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10668.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24