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Darwin in letters, 1862: A multiplicity of experiments
Summary
1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments…
Matches: 16 hits
- … to be referred to routinely. In November, Joseph Dalton Hooker told him: ‘you are alluded to in no …
- … but really I do think you have a good right to be so’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 and] 20 …
- … species. Darwin attempted to dissuade him from this view ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 14 [January 1862 …
- … partially sterile together. He failed. Huxley replied ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 January 1862 …
- … and pronounced them ‘simply perfect’, but continued ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 18 December [1862] ) …
- … resigned to their difference of opinion, but complained ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 28 December [1862 …
- … letters, Darwin, impressed, gave him the commission ( see letter to John Scott, 11 December [1862] …
- … of dimorphism. Towards the end of the year, he wrote to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 …
- … students to make observations on American species. Hooker and George Bentham at Kew were also …
- … became increasingly frustrated, telling Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 March [1862] ): ‘I am …
- … from his ‘ enormous labour over them’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 [October 1862] ; see ML 2: …
- … least 3 classes of dimorphism’ ( letter to Daniel Oliver, 12 [April 1862] ), and experimenting to …
- … case warranted a paper for the Linnean Society ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 6 October [1862] ). …
- … passed so miserable a nine months’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 12 September [1862] ). A family …
- … ‘Botany is a new subject to me’ ( letter to John Scott, 12 November [1862] ), but, impressed by …
- … into Tyndall’s ears’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 10–12 November [1862] ). Another of Darwin’s …
Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year
Summary
The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…
Matches: 16 hits
- … be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August …
- … pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such …
- … And … one looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
- … was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’ ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
- … inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October …
- … to believe in such rubbish’, he confided to Joseph Dalton Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 …
- … for misinterpreting Darwin on this point ( letter from J. D. Dana, 21 July 1874 ); however, he did …
- … (letters from George Cupples, 21 February 1874 and 12 March 1874 ); the material was …
- … the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii; letters from T. N. Staley, 12 February 1874 and 20 February 1874 …
- … was published in November 1874 ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Though containing …
- … print runs would be very good ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 12 November 1874 ). Darwin's …
- … Mivart (see Correspondence vol. 20, letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin …
- … Review & in the same type’ ( letter from John Murray, 12 August 1874 ). George’s letter …
- … views. In December, he sought advice from Huxley and Hooker, sending them a draft letter that …
- … had written the article ( enclosure to letter from J. D. Hooker, 21 December 1874 ). Huxley’s …
- … he finally wrote a polite, very formal letter to Mivart on 12 January 1875 , refusing to hold any …
Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad
Summary
At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…
Matches: 18 hits
- … that he was ‘unwell & must write briefly’ ( letter to John Scott, 31 May [1863] ), and in a …
- … persevered with his work on Variation until 20 July, his letter-writing dwindled considerably. The …
- … from ‘some Quadrumanum animal’, as he put it in a letter to J. D. Hooker of 24[–5] February [1863] …
- … ‘I declare I never in my life read anything grander’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 26 [February 1863] …
- … the origin of species particularly, worried Darwin; he told Hooker that he had once thought Lyell …
- … wished his one-time mentor had not said a word ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] ). …
- … lack of expertise in the subject. ‘The worst of it is’, Hooker wrote to Darwin, ‘I suppose it is …
- … difficulty in answering Owen unaided ’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] ). Hugh …
- … credit to his own research and that of Joseph Prestwich. Hooker wrote: ‘I fear L. will get scant …
- … of Lyell’s book being written by others’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 February 1863] ). …
- … to see men fighting so for a little fame’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1863] ). …
- … to capture his and others’ attention ( see letter to J. D. Dana, 20 February [1863] , and letter …
- … he had ‘gained nothing’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 12–13 March [1863] ). poor miserable …
- … Natural History Review ( see letter to H. W. Bates, 12 January [1863] ). Darwin added Bates’s …
- … Society ( see letter from Edward Sabine to John Phillips, 12 November 1863 ). Characteristically, …
- … also encouraged him to write ( see letter to John Scott, 12 April [1863] ). In this paper, Scott …
- … to capture his attention ( see letter to John Scott, 12 April [1863] ). Additionally, Darwin …
- … Huxley, 25 February 1863 , and letter to Charles Lyell, 12–13 March [1863] ). Emma was a …
The Lyell–Lubbock dispute
Summary
In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book Prehistoric times, accused Lyell of plagiarism. The dispute caused great dismay among many of their mutual scientific friends, some of whom took immediate action…
Matches: 18 hits
- … species such as the mammoth ( Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Charles Lyell, 4 May [1860] and n. …
- … Galton. In February 1863, Lubbock received a letter from Lyell, evidently in response …
- … discussed the book in correspondence with Joseph Dalton Hooker, Asa Gray, and Huxley but he never …
- … complaint about the book was more personal. He confided to Hooker that he was ‘deeply disappointed’ …
- … about Lyell’s failure to support him. In April 1863, in a letter to the Athenæum , he discussed a …
- … transmutation; he also wrote to Lyell telling him about the letter to the Athenæum . 9 …
- … but had tried, indirectly, to influence him. He told Hooker: 10 Do see Falconer …
- … Falconer to tone down his attack on Lyell and agreed, on Hooker’s advice, to soften a passage in the …
- … 1863b, p. 213). In May 1864, Lubbock received a letter from Falconer, who reiterated his …
- … speak of their own original researches’. He then added: 12 Very many other parts …
- … allude to Sir C’s explanation of the matter’. 23 Hooker, who had also been sent copies of the …
- … reiterated his admiration for Lubbock’s book ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [4 June 1865] ). A week …
- … When Hooker pressed him for an opinion ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 July 1865 ), Darwin wrote …
- … of Antiquity of man (C. Lyell 1863c; see letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 June 1865] and n. 13) …
- … 7. See Correspondence vol. 11, letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] . On Lyell’s …
- … ]. 10. Correspondence vol. 11, letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1863] . …
- … was ‘unintentional’ ([Lubbock] 1863b, p. 214). 12. Letter from Hugh Falconer to John …
- … Gesellschaft in Zürich 9 (1853–6): 65–100; 12 (1857–8): 111–56; 13 (1858–63): i–x; 14 (1858–63): 1 …
Darwin in letters, 1865: Delays and disappointments
Summary
The year was marked by three deaths of personal significance to Darwin: Hugh Falconer, a friend and supporter; Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and father of Darwin’s friend…
Matches: 17 hits
- … for evaluation, and persuaded his friend Joseph Dalton Hooker to comment on a paper on Verbascum …
- … committed suicide at the end of April; and William Jackson Hooker, director of the Royal Botanic …
- … thriving, and when illness made work impossible, Darwin and Hooker read a number of novels, and …
- … having all the Boys at home: they make the house jolly’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] …
- … to accept the award in person (see Correspondence vol. 12). In early January Falconer had …
- … had failed to include among the grounds of the award ( see letter from Hugh Falconer to Erasmus …
- … his letters to Darwin, and Darwin responded warmly: ‘Your letter is by far the grandest eulogium …
- … may well rest content that I have not laboured in vain’ ( letter to Hugh Falconer, 6 January [1865] …
- … always a most kind friend to me. So the world goes.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 February [1865] …
- … griefs & pains: these alone are unalloyed’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 3 February 1865 ). …
- … Sic transit gloria mundi, with a vengeance’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 9 February [1865] ). …
- … know it is folly & nonsense to try anyone’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 7 January [1865] ). He …
- … in or before November 1864 ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to Ernst Haeckel, 21 November [1864 …
- … in Müller’s name ( see letter from Fritz Müller, [12 and 31 August, and 10 October 1865] ; since …
- … to find employment in India (see Correspondence vol. 12), sent Darwin the results of his experiments …
- … to Darwin may be gathered from Darwin’s letter to him of 12 July [1865] . Huxley had evidently …
- … who also caught it, rapidly succumbed to it and died on 12 August. Hooker himself contracted …
Darwin’s hothouse and lists of hothouse plants
Summary
Darwin became increasingly involved in botanical experiments in the years after the publication of Origin. The building of a small hothouse - a heated greenhouse - early in 1863 greatly increased the range of plants that he could keep for scientific…
Matches: 15 hits
- … purposes’ (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter to J. D. Hooker, 24 December [1862] , and …
- … book (Down House MS) and Correspondence vol. 5, letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 April [1855] ). …
- … its sensitivity to touch (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December …
- … his employer’s hothouses over the previous two years. In a letter of 24 December [1862] ( …
- … of prizes & is very observant. He believes that we sh d succeed with a little patience; …
- … mid-January, and completed by mid-February (see letters to J. D. Hooker, 13 January [1863] and …
- … he had had, he would ‘probably have made a mess of it’ (letter to G. H. Turnbull, [16? February …
- … plants for use in a wide variety of experiments. He told Hooker that he was ‘looking with much …
- … shall keep to curious & experimental plants’ (letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January [1863] ). …
- … plants you want before going to Nurserymen’ (letter from J. D. Hooker, [15 January 1863] ). …
- … Stove [that is, cool hothouse]’ ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to J. D. Hooker, 26[–7] March …
- … of different temperatures’ (letter to W. C. Tait, 12 and 16 March [1869] , Calendar no. 6661) …
- … 100 yards’ to the greenhouses ( Correspondence vol. 12, letter to J. D. Hooker, [25 January …
- … in mid-February (see letter from L. C. Treviranus, 12 February 1863 ). The second list is …
- … Anoectochilus argenteus 12 5 s . …
Darwin in letters, 1879: Tracing roots
Summary
Darwin spent a considerable part of 1879 in the eighteenth century. His journey back in time started when he decided to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an essay on Erasmus’s evolutionary ideas…
Matches: 22 hits
- … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
- … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
- … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
- … many blessings, was finding old age ‘a dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
- … Darwin had written: ‘The worst thing I find now is this d—n’d old age, which creeps slily upon one, …
- … itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and …
- … office to complete Horace’s marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
- … but they were ‘as nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
- … ). The botanist and schoolteacher Hermann Müller wrote on 12 February to wish Darwin a ‘long and …
- … admiration of his grandfather: ‘The more I read of Dr. D. the higher he rises in my estimation.’ …
- … well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and letter from Leonard …
- … it, leaving Darwin ‘more perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, …
- … Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 , and letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 ). Darwin’s final task …
- … inn ‘ very comfortable’, but told Leonard Darwin on 12 August that there were ‘too many human …
- … which is his profession tho’ not a profitable one; also D r C[lark]’s opinion that he was so …
- … when the acorns failed to ripen, Darwin had to ask Joseph Hooker to come to his rescue by sending …
- … scarlet oak: ‘to be planted in my honour!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 4 November [1879] ). While in …
- … knowledge—observation & experiment’ ( letter from J. F. Moulton, 10 December 1879 ). In reply …
- … image of the frog be published in Nature ( letter to J. N. Lockyer, 4 and 6 March [1879] ). …
- … and his family to the Riviera for the summer ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 23 July 1879 ). Allen, who …
- … prospects were precarious. Darwin contacted Joseph Hooker on 17 December to ask his opinion: ‘I …
- … been saved from a ‘mistake & mess’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 December [1879] ). The German …
Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?
Summary
Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…
Matches: 14 hits
- … a specimen of the carnivorous Drosophyllum lusitanicum , Hooker wrote: “Pray work your wicked …
- … parts of the flower would become modified & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August …
- … it again, “for Heaven knows when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873] ). …
- … we take notes and take tracings of their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873] ) …
- … in importance; and if so more places will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 …
- … our unfortunate family being fit for continuous work” ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 25 September …
- … at the end of November 1872 and sold quickly. He wrote to Hooker on 12 January [1873] , “Did I …
- … could be transmitted to its offspring ( letter from J. T. Moggridge, 1 February 1873 ). …
- … ( letter from E. F. Lubbock, [before 7 April 1873] ). Hooker added: “I have beaten my brains to …
- … friend— but he is a deal too sharp” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [7 April 1873] ). A group …
- … forced him to take periodic breaks from work ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 21 February [1873] ). They …
- … new facts which I have to compare & judge of” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 December [1873] ). …
- … intellect; but man can do his duty” ( letter to N. D. Doedes, 2 April 1873 ). Darwin’s …
- … exact accordance with natural selection” ( letter from M. D. Conway, 10 September [1873] ). …
Darwin in letters, 1875: Pulling strings
Summary
‘I am getting sick of insectivorous plants’, Darwin confessed in January 1875. He had worked on the subject intermittently since 1859, and had been steadily engaged on a book manuscript for nine months; January also saw the conclusion of a bitter dispute…
Matches: 20 hits
- … work of preparing new Editions’, he complained again to Hooker on 18 August. Finally, by …
- … much more than insectivorous plants. As he confessed to Hooker on 12 December , ‘I have not felt …
- … the matter to his satisfaction. On 8 January , he told Hooker: ‘I will write a savage letter & …
- … from his family, he sent a curt note to Mivart on 12 January , breaking off all future …
- … honoured George. You have indeed been a true friend.’ Hooker was hampered by his position as …
- … & if he speaks to me should let him feel it .’ Hooker also directed some of his anger …
- … to the Editor … Poor Murray shuddered again & again’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 16 January …
- … thirst for vengeance is now quite Satisfied’, he told Hooker on 17 January , ‘I feel now like a …
- … of a bill that was presented to the House of Commons on 12 May, one week after a rival bill based on …
- … offered to pay the costs for printing an additional 250 ( letter to John Murray, 3 May 1875 ). …
- … & bless the day That ever you were born (letter from E. F. Lubbock, [after 2 …
- … that the originally red half has become wholly white’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [before 4 …
- … pp. 188–90). He drew attention to this discussion in a letter to George Rolleston, remarking on 2 …
- … Darwin wrote, ‘I beg ten thousand pardon & more’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [ c . February …
- … signed himself, ‘Your affect son … the proofmaniac’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, 1 and 2 May [1875 …
- … firm. Darwin was impressed by the device, remarking to Hooker on 13 October : ‘Horace has made a …
- … both critical and reverential. On 16 July he received a letter from an advocate of women’s …
- … The author, Fritz Schultze, contacted Darwin himself on 12 June , describing the aims of his book …
- … her presentation copy of Insectivorous plants ( letter to D. F. Nevill, 15 July [1875] ). Such …
- … scientific Socy. has done in my time,’ he told Hooker on 12 December . ‘I wish that I knew what …
Darwin in letters, 1869: Forward on all fronts
Summary
At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of Origin. He may have resented the interruption to his work on sexual selection and human evolution, but he spent forty-six days on the task. Much of the…
Matches: 18 hits
- … & I am sick of correcting’ ( Correspondence vol. 16, letter to W. D. Fox, 12 December [1868 …
- … he remarked to his best friend, the botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker, ‘If I lived 20 more years, & …
- … Well it is a beginning, & that is something’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [22 January 1869] ). …
- … Darwin sent a manuscript of his response (now missing) to Hooker, remarking: ‘I should be extremely …
- … made any blunders, as is very likely to be the case’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January 1869 ). …
- … principle (Nägeli 1865, pp. 28–9). In further letters, Hooker tried to provide Darwin with botanical …
- … than I now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , …
- … is strengthened by the facts in distribution’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin …
- … retrench that position following criticism from his friend Hooker, by admitting that the survival of …
- … tropical species using Croll’s theory. In the same letter to Croll, Darwin had expressed …
- … do fairly well, though if I had read you first, perhaps I d have been less deferential towards …
- … males & females, cocks & hens.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 November [1869] ). Yet …
- … & contempt—almost hatred—’ ( from Asa Gray and J. L. Gray, 8 and 9 May [1869] ). James …
- … by Wallace’s assertions: ‘If you had not told me I d have thought that they had been added by …
- … he had studied in the early 1860s ( letter to W. C. Tait, 12 and 16 March 1869 ). This research …
- … [her] to translate “Domestic Animals”’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 November [1869] ). Angered by …
- … poured boiling oil over the bumptious man’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 7 September 1869 ). Huxley …
- … suggestions to its publisher, Macmillan ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 14 November 1869 ). Darwin …
Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers
Summary
In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…
Matches: 20 hits
- … which I can do’, he wrote despondently to Joseph Dalton Hooker on 15 June , concluding, ‘I must …
- … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
- … memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for publication in the Journal of Popular …
- … made a small omission ’. Stephen’s reply on 12 January was flattering, reassuring, and …
- … publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ) …
- … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
- … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
- … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
- … Darwin had difficulty in obtaining mature plants. On 12 April, he reported to Müller , ‘I have …
- … to make me happy & contented,’ he told Wallace on 12 July , ‘but life has become very …
- … made clear the veneration in which he was held. ‘I’d give one year of my life for one hours …
- … which he thought ‘an excellent Journal’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 4 July [1881] ). In these ways, …
- … friends, however, did not agree. Both John Lubbock and Hooker asked for Darwin’s advice when writing …
- … ( letter to John Lubbock, [18 September 1881] ). When Hooker, anxious about his address on …
- … one’ and had ‘gone much out’ of his mind ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 June [1881] ). Feeling …
- … approach to omniscience than for originality’, and telling Hooker, ‘Your long letter has stirred …
- … atrocious a manner on all physiologists’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 April 1881 ). A letter he …
- … else’s judgment on the subject ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 12 July 1881 ). However, some requests …
- … would be with a less intelligent man’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 1 July [1881] ). Despite this, …
- … have a domestic life & public duties!’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [23 October 1881] ). …
Darwin in letters,1866: Survival of the fittest
Summary
The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of Origin. Darwin got the fourth…
Matches: 17 hits
- … on publishers, decried on one occasion by Joseph Dalton Hooker as ‘Penny-wise Pound foolish, …
- … Fuller consideration of Darwin’s work was given by Hooker in an evening speech on insular floras at …
- … able to write easy work for about 1½ hours every day’ ( letter to H. B. Jones, 3 January [1866] ). …
- … once daily to make the chemistry go on better’ ( letter from H. B. Jones, 10 February [1866] ). …
- … see you out with our beagles before the season is over’ ( letter from John Lubbock, 4 August 1866 …
- … work doing me any harm—any how I can’t be idle’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 24 August [1866] ). …
- … production of which Tegetmeier had agreed to supervise ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 16 January …
- … continued to refine his hypothesis in 1866. He wrote to Hooker on 16 May [1866] , ‘I … am at work …
- … it was too big. ‘You must congratulate me’, he wrote to Hooker, ‘when you hear that I have sent M.S. …
- … Animals & Cult. Plants” to Printers’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24 December [1866] ). When …
- … of Darwin’s closest scientific friends and correspondents. Hooker’s research on alpine floras, Henry …
- … more than the belief of a dozen physicists’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 February 1866] ). Darwin …
- … ‘Your father … entered at the same time with Dr B. J. who received him with triumph. All his friends …
- … me to worship Bence Jones in future—’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 May 1866 ). Darwin himself …
- … then went for ¾ to Zoolog. Garden!!!!!!!!!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 April 1866] ). …
- … tell him the truth how little exertion I can stand. I sh d like very much to see him, though I …
- … development ( see for example, letter to C. W. Nägeli, 12 June [1866] ). Also in March, however, …
Women’s scientific participation
Summary
Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…
Matches: 21 hits
- … Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
- … silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
- … observations of cats’ instinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
- … to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
- … be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to …
- … Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L …
- … of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. to Darwin, E., [8 November1872] …
- … Darwin’s behalf. Letter 8683 - Roberts, D. to Darwin, [17 December 1872] …
- … little treatise”. Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] …
- … and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
- … in a marble tablet”. Letter 6815 - Scott, J. to Darwin, [2 July 1869] John …
- … Men: Letter 385 - Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] …
- … at Maer Hall, Staffordshire. Letter 1219 - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [3 February …
- … Letter 10390 - Herrick, S. M. B . to Darwin, [12 February 1876] Sophia Herrick …
- … The experiments were carried out “at the suggestion of Dr Hooker” and what little he has ascertained …
- … Women: Letter 2345 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [20 October 1858] Darwin …
- … style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin …
- … future. Letter 4038 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [12-13 March 1863] Darwin …
- … Letter 7858 - Darwin to Wa llace, A. R., [12 July 1871] Darwin tells Wallace that …
- … Letter 2475 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [2 July 1859] Darwin returns the manuscript of …
- … Letter 3316 - Darwin to Nevill, D. F., [12 November 1861] Darwin requests the …
Dramatisation script
Summary
Re: Design – Adaptation of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Asa Gray and others… by Craig Baxter – as performed 25 March 2007
Matches: 22 hits
- … writings of Asa Gray, Charles Darwin, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Jane Loring Gray Louis Agassiz, Adam …
- … this actor uses the words of Jane Loring Gray, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Hugh Falconer, Louis Agassiz, …
- … of natural selection to his friend, the botanist, Joseph D Hooker GRAY: 3 Charles …
- … year 1839, and copied and communicated to Messrs Lyell and Hooker in 1844, being a part of …
- … DARWIN: 7 January 1844. My dear Hooker. I have been …engaged in a very presumptuous work …
- … his University) and is much less his own man. A letter from England catches his attention …
- … the opportunity I enjoyed of making your acquaintance at Hooker’s three years ago; and besides that …
- … sheet of note-paper! DARWIN: 11 My dear Hooker… What a remarkably nice and kind …
- … be of any the least use to you? If so I would copy it… His letter does strike me as most uncommonly …
- … has done my stomach surprising good. GRAY: 12 My dear Mr Darwin, I rejoice in …
- … on the geographical distribution of the US plants; and if my letter caused you to do this some year …
- … 22 Hurrah I got yesterday my 41st Grass! Hooker is younger than Darwin and Gray by …
- … species before… DARWIN: 24 My dear Hooker… you cannot imagine how pleased I am …
- … on your bowels of immutability. Darwin passes to Hooker a brace of letters 25 …
- … might like to see it; please be sure [to] return it. If your letter is Botanical and has nothing …
- … there is a little rap for you. GRAY: 26 Hooker [is] dreadfully paradoxical to …
- … Atlantic. HOOKER: 28 Thanks for your letter and its enclosure from A. Gray which …
- … notions of natural Selection and would see whether it or my letter bears any date, I should be very …
- … HOOKER 10 MAY 1848 5 C DARWIN TO JD HOOKER 12 OCTOBER 1849 6 C DARWIN …
- … 11 C DARWIN TO JD HOOKER, 5 JUNE 1855 12 A GRAY TO C DARWIN, 30 JUNE 1855 …
- … HOOKER, 11 OCTOBER 1858 59 A GRAY TO JD HOOKER, 12 OCTOBER 1857 60 A GRAY TO …
- … C DARWIN, 18–19 AUGUST 1862 149 C DARWIN TO J. D. HOOKER 26 JULY 1863 150 …
Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep
Summary
In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…
Matches: 22 hits
- … is to lessen injury to leaves from radiation’, he wrote to Hooker on 25 March ; ‘this has …
- … or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). …
- … when he finds out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] …
- … Darwin complained. ‘I am ashamed at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). …
- … accursed German language: Sachs is very kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June …
- … have nobody to talk to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] …
- … but it is horrid not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). …
- … determine whether they had chlorophyll, Francis reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 …
- … ‘There is one machine we must have’, Francis wrote ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 17 July …
- … ‘He seems to me to jump to conclusions rather’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 3 August 1878] …
- … ( letter to Francis Darwin, 17 July [1878] ). On 12 September , Darwin wrote: ‘Bernard is as …
- … on the object, but he will always do so’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 20 August [1878] ). Darwin …
- … a monkey & a baby in your house!’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 2 September [1878] ). More …
- … to play the part of a thieving wasp’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 21 June 1878 ). An …
- … where his work had been more controversial ( letter from J.-B. Dumas and Joseph Bertrand, 5 August …
- … The Swiss botanist Arnold Dodel-Port announced on 12 June 1878 the first issue of an atlas with …
- … and leaves Moses to take care of himself ’ ( letter from J. B. Innes, 1 December 1878 ). Darwin …
- … European crop (see Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. S. Henslow, 28 October [1845] ). He …
- … the matter be presented to the duke of Richmond ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 28 [February 1878] ). …
- … he made a fool of himself at Belfast,’ Darwin wrote to Hooker on 3 or 4 March . ‘I have often …
- … oddest thing that ever happened to me’, Darwin wrote to Hooker on 14 December. Mindful of the lack …
- … That pecunious old couple of Worthing’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 14 December 1878 ). …
Scientific Networks
Summary
Friendship|Mentors|Class|Gender In its broadest sense, a scientific network is a set of connections between people, places, and things that channel the communication of knowledge, and that substantially determine both its intellectual form and content,…
Matches: 12 hits
- … and colonial authorities. In the nineteenth-century, letter writing was one of the most important …
- … tapping into the networks of others, such as Joseph Dalton Hooker and Asa Gray, who were at leading …
- … in times of uncertainty, controversy, or personal loss. Letter writing was not only a means of …
- … of face-to-face contact. His correspondence with Joseph Hooker and Asa Gray illustrates how close …
- … The first is between Darwin and his friend Kew botanist J. D. Hooker. The second is between Darwin …
- … to Hooker “it is like confessing a murder”. Letter 736 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D. …
- … wide-ranging genera. Darwin and Gray Letter 1674 — Darwin, C. R. to Gray, …
- … and asks him to append the ranges of the species. Letter 1685 — Gray, Asa to Darwin, C. …
- … Letter 1202 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 6 Oct [1848] Darwin catches up on personal …
- … to specific name. Letter 1220 — Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, C. R., 3 Feb 1849 In this …
- … Letter 1260 — Darwin, C. R. to Hooker, J. D., 12 Oct 1849 Darwin opens by discussing their …
- … Letter 3805 — Darwin, C. R. to Scott, John, 12 Nov [1862] Darwin thanks Scott for bringing …
Darwin in letters, 1847-1850: Microscopes and barnacles
Summary
Darwin's study of barnacles, begun in 1844, took him eight years to complete. The correspondence reveals how his interest in a species found during the Beagle voyage developed into an investigation of the comparative anatomy of other cirripedes and…
Matches: 21 hits
- … Darwin wrote to his friend and confidant Joseph Dalton Hooker: ‘I hope this next summer to finish my …
- … hurrah for my species-work’ ( Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [5 or 12 November …
- … Of special interest are the nine letters from Joseph Dalton Hooker written during his expedition in …
- … and frequently dangerous travels through the mountains. Hooker writes of the complicated geology of …
- … of the Sikkim Himalaya. In the midst of all this activity, Hooker responds to Darwin’s particular …
- … other. Geology, and geological controversy Hooker’s letters illuminate the role of the …
- … William Herschel, to write the chapter on geology ( letter to J. F. W. Herschel, 4 February [1848] …
- … by Darwin on the use of microscopes on board ship ( see letter to Richard Owen, [26 March 1848] ). …
- … to Milne directly, he sent a long rejoinder in the form of a letter for publication in the Scotsman. …
- … asked for it to be destroyed. Only the draft of Darwin’s letter remains ( letter to the Scotsman …
- … that his original fieldwork was ‘time thrown away’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 8 [September 1847] ) …
- … that it would be a ‘thorn in the side of É de B.’ (letter to Charles Lyell, 3 January 1850 ). …
- … marine invertebrates himself (see Correspondence vol. 2, letter to Leonard Jenyns, 10 April [1837]) …
- … a young Balanus in this illformed little monster? Fig 12.— . . . It is manifest this curious little …
- … that such a monograph was a ‘desideratum’ ( letter to J. L. R. Agassiz, 22 October 1848 ), was …
- … are clearly expressed in his letters; he also pointed out to Hooker that it was his species theory …
- … of the sexes from an ancestral hermaphrodite in his Notebook D ( Notebooks ) and had subsequently …
- … or pistils ( Correspondence vol. 2, letter from J. S. Henslow, 21 November 1840 ). The sexual …
- … this importance comes through in his happy protestations to Hooker: ‘But I can hardly explain what I …
- … you say, my species theory is all gospel.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 10 May 1848 ). Once …
- … to H. E. Strickland, 29 January [1849] . As Darwin wrote to J. D. Hooker, who had warned him …
Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex
Summary
The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…
Matches: 20 hits
- … in satisfying female preference in the mating process. In a letter to Alfred Russel Wallace in 1864, …
- … means of changing the races of man’ (Correspondence vol. 12, letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864 …
- … book would take the form of a ‘short essay’ on man ( letter to Ernst Haeckel, 3 July 1868 ). But …
- … as well say, he would drink a little and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ) …
- … the accursed Index-maker’, Darwin wrote to Joseph Dalton Hooker on 6 January . Darwin had sent …
- … would be a great loss to the Book’. But Darwin’s angry letter to Murray crossed one from Dallas to …
- … of labour to remuneration I shall look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). …
- … if I try to read a few pages feel fairly nauseated’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 February [1868] ). …
- … away’ that sparked the most discussion. Darwin wrote to Hooker on 23 February , ‘did you look at …
- … thought it was by Gray himself, but Darwin corrected him: ‘D r Gray would strike me in the face, …
- … editor of the London and Westminster Review . When Hooker later tried to refute the claims of the …
- … a scamp & I begin to think a veritable ass’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868] ). …
- … on 17 April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the Rev d C. Darwin M.d’; Binstead evidently …
- … (from ?, 6 April 1868). On 21 May , Darwin complained to Hooker, ‘I am bothered with heaps of …
- … information on colour changes in the canary (letters from J. J. Weir, [26] March 1868 and 3 …
- … added, ‘for it is clear that I have none’ ( letter to J. J. Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual …
- … role of colour, sound, and smell in attracting females. J. J. Weir reported on 14 April 1868 …
- … Wallace that he had begun the previous year, writing to Hooker on 21 May , ‘I always distrust …
- … circulated to remote parts of the world. A correspondent of Hooker’s distributed it in Japan ( …
- … defender in England, Thomas Henry Huxley, remarked on 12 September on ‘the terrible “Darwinismus …
Darwin in letters, 1856-1857: the 'Big Book'
Summary
In May 1856, Darwin began writing up his 'species sketch’ in earnest. During this period, his working life was completely dominated by the preparation of his 'Big Book', which was to be called Natural selection. Using letters are the main…
Matches: 17 hits
- … in his immediate circle were Charles Lyell and Joseph Dalton Hooker, who were joined in 1856 by …
- … an illustration of how selection might work in nature ( letter from Charles Lyell, 1–2 May 1856, n. …
- … way before. ‘How very odd it is that no zoologist sh d . ever have thought it worth while to look …
- … ‘& I mean to make my Book as perfect as ever I can.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 8 February [1857] …
- … plants, he asked Asa Gray, vary in the United States ( letter to Asa Gray, 2 May 1856 )? What …
- … than their lowland relatives. But a last-minute check with Hooker revealed that Darwin was mistaken: …
- … plants pretty effectually’ complained Darwin in 1857 ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [2 May 1857] ). …
- … calculations and different ways of working, in letters to Hooker, Gray, and Watson. The results …
- … John Lubbock that his method of calculation was wrong ( letter to John Lubbock, 14 July [1857] ). …
- … ‘Darwin, an absolute & eternal hermaphrodite’ ( letter to to T. H. Huxley, 1 July [1856] ), …
- … an equally difficult problem that he took in turn to Watson, Hooker, George Bentham, and the Belfast …
- … show a separation of the sexes, a proposal that Asa Gray and Hooker confirmed during the course of …
- … my profound experiments. Franky said to me, “why sh d not a bird be killed (by hawk, …
- … which the bird had naturally eaten have grown well.’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 10 December [1856] …
- … first made in a letter written by Lyell from London on 1–2 May 1856. Darwin took the suggestion …
- … Lyell had pressed him to write up his views ( letters to J. D. Hooker, 9 May [1856] ). …
- … whole Lamarckian doctrine.’ ( letter from Charles Lyell, 1–2 May 1856, n. 7 ). The excitement and …
Cross and self fertilisation
Summary
The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors…
Matches: 18 hits
- … offspring of English fertile plants’ ( To Fritz Müller, 12 May 1870 ). From a fairly early …
- … his results. In March 1867, he told his close friend Joseph Hooker, ‘The only fact which I have …
- … produced by a cross between two distinct plants’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 March [1867] ). He noted …
- … of France where Moggridge lived for part of the year ( To J. T. Moggridge, 1 October [1867] ). …
- … ‘I always supposed until lately that no evil effects w d be visible until after several …
- … flower. ‘How utterly mysterious it is’, he reported to Hooker, ‘that there sh d be some …
- … to impotence when taken from the same plant!’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 21 May [1868] ) Pollen tubes, or …
- … Darwin sent specimens of plants he raised from this seed to Hooker, who named it Abutilon darwinii …
- … a new species, & I am honoured by its name’, Darwin told Hooker, ‘It offers an instance, of …
- … the season it becomes capable of self-fertilisation’ ( To J. D. Hooker, 23 July [1871] ). Darwin …
- … ). When Darwin began writing in February 1873, he asked Hooker for names of families of several …
- … & I have no idea when it will be published’ ( To J. V. Carus, 8 May [1873] ). Hermann Müller …
- … and not on ‘the evil effects of Interbreeding’ ( To J. V. Carus, 2 August [1873] ). In …
- … & Trimorphic plants with new & related matter. ( To J. V. Carus, 19 March [1874] ). A year …
- … the 34 crossed plants being still taken as 100.? I sh d . rather like to know what the general …
- … if the book had not yet been released ( From Asa Gray, 12 October 1876 ). Darwin sent the sheets, …
- … as being as faultless as your temper’ ( From Asa Gray, 12 November 1876 ). The book was …
- … A. R. Wallace, 13 December 1876 ). No reply to this letter has been found, but Darwin had long …