From W. K. Parker 18 January 1878
Summary
Sorry he was out when CD called.
| Author: | William Kitchen Parker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 18 Jan 1878 |
| Classmark: | DAR 174: 20 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10077 |
From W. C. Marshall 25 September [1878]
Summary
Observations on insectivorous plants.
| Author: | William Cecil (Bill) Marshall |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 25 Sept [1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 86: B1–2 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10173 |
From F. M. Balfour [c. 31 January 1878?]
Summary
His brother Cecil is reading Coral reefs, and, as his business involves the Keeling Islands and Torres Straits, he offers to make any observations CD might want.
| Author: | Francis Maitland Balfour |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [c. 31 Jan 1878?] |
| Classmark: | DAR 160: 23 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10332 |
To Milan Radovanović [before 12 February 1878]
Summary
Thanks for congratulations on his coming birthday. Has nothing special to say as a preface to S[erbian] edition [of Origin (1878)], except to hope it is in every way successful.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Milan Marinković (Milan) Radovanović |
| Date: | [before 12 Feb 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 202: 79 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10827 |
From R. T. Clarke 6 February [1878]
Summary
Sends curious, coloured pea seeds.
| Author: | Richard Trevor Clarke |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 6 Feb [1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 161: 169 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10832 |
To G. J. Romanes 15 April [1878]
Summary
Regrets that GJR was passed over for membership in Royal Society. Discusses criteria applied by Council.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | George John Romanes |
| Date: | 15 Apr [1878] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.509) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10929 |
From Thomas Meehan 28 April [1878]
Summary
Sends CD Dr Wood’s lecture on insectivorous plants.
Had no intention of antagonising CD with his observations on Linum; was anxious to account for its apparently different behaviour.
| Author: | Thomas Meehan |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 28 Apr [1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 111 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10944 |
To W. C. Marshall 27 September [1878]
Summary
Thanks WCM for plant.
Mentions "your new room" at Down.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Cecil (Bill) Marshall |
| Date: | 27 Sept [1878] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11153 |
From George Henslow [c. 20 February 1878]
Summary
Discusses various authors’ interpretations of the structure of the embryo of grasses.
| Author: | George Henslow |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [c. 20 Feb 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 209.4: 431 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11219 |
From J. D. Hooker [c. 20 February 1878]
Summary
Discusses the structure of grass embryos; states differing theories regarding which part of the seed corresponds to the cotyledon.
| Author: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [c. 20 Feb 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 209.4: 432 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11220 |
To Francis Darwin [1878?]
Summary
Forwards an unspecified work for FD to read.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Francis Darwin |
| Date: | [1878?] |
| Classmark: | DAR 211: 21 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11302 |
To Francis Darwin 5 [June 1878]
Summary
Sends letter and seeds from [F. J. Cohn].
Is working too hard.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Francis Darwin |
| Date: | 5 [June 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 211: 22 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11303 |
From Ellen Harrison to Emma Darwin [January 1878]
Summary
On an elephant’s crying when foot was operated on.
| Author: | Ellen Acland; Ellen Harrison |
| Addressee: | Emma Wedgwood; Emma Darwin |
| Date: | [Jan 1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 166: 108 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11304 |
To Raphael Meldola 1 January [1878]
Summary
Good article by Fritz Müller in Kosmos supporting August Weismann’s views on caterpillars.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Raphael Meldola |
| Date: | 1 Jan [1878] |
| Classmark: | Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Hope Entomological Collections 1350: Hope/Westwood Archive, Darwin folder) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11305 |
To Édouard Heckel 1 January 1878
Summary
Pleased EH is translating Forms of flowers. Agrees "cowslip" and "oxlip" ought to be translated by their scientific names.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Édouard Marie (Édouard) Heckel |
| Date: | 1 Jan 1878 |
| Classmark: | Heritage Auctions (dealers) (13 and 14 December 2011, lot 37038) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11306 |
To H. D. Garrison [1878]
Summary
Regrets he was not at home when HDG called.
HDG’s observations on the evolution of the human ear are well worth consideration.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Herod Dailey Garrison |
| Date: | [1878] |
| Classmark: | Felter 1902, p. 124 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11306F |
To Hermann Müller 1 January [1878]
Summary
Thanks HM for his review [of Forms of flowers, Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 286].
Thinks HM’s previous article was very important [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 128–40]. CD will "heartily rejoice" if HM has explained the steps by which Rhamnus and Valeriana have been rendered dioecious.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Heinrich Ludwig Hermann (Hermann) Müller |
| Date: | 1 Jan [1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 146: 438 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11307 |
From Raphael Meldola 2 January [1878]
Summary
Wishes to borrow third part of Fritz Müller’s article on sexual selection in butterflies [Kosmos 2 (1877–8): 218–24].
Is forwarding material on stridulation, including Prof. Wood-Mason’s paper ["Note on Mygale stridulans", Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (1877): 281–2], which should interest CD.
| Author: | Raphael Meldola |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 2 Jan [1878] |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 121 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11308 |
To ? 2 January 1878
Summary
Thanks correspondent for note and specimen; they will be of use in new edition of Forms of flowers.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Unidentified |
| Date: | 2 Jan 1878 |
| Classmark: | Rensselaer Libraries, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Gerald and Sue Friedman manuscript collection MC 72 Box 1) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11308A |
To Raphael Meldola 3 January 1878
Summary
Is dispatching December number of Kosmos.
Will read the discussion on stridulation that RM mentioned.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Raphael Meldola |
| Date: | 3 Jan 1878 |
| Classmark: | Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Hope Entomological Collections 1350: Hope/Westwood Archive, Darwin folder) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11309 |
| letter | (579) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (304) |
| Darwin, Francis | (24) |
| Torbitt, James | (16) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (12) |
| Meldola, Raphael | (10) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (258) |
| Darwin, Francis | (34) |
| Thiselton-Dyer, W. T. | (23) |
| Meldola, Raphael | (17) |
| Romanes, G. J. | (17) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (562) |
| Darwin, Francis | (58) |
| Thiselton-Dyer, W. T. | (30) |
| Meldola, Raphael | (27) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (26) |
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: 29 hits
- … is to lessen injury to leaves from radiation In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his …
- … scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). Writing to Ernst Haeckel on …
- … plants.’ Movement in plants In the spring of 1878, Darwin started to focus on the …
- … come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [1878–80] ). While Darwin was studying the …
- … of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] ). Having found plants responsive to …
- … at my blunder’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 22 December [1878] ). Son abroad Darwin’s …
- … kind to him’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June [1878] ). While Francis was away, Darwin …
- … work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] ). Two weeks later he wrote: ‘I …
- … to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). It is unclear why the …
- … reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ): ‘The oats have only just begun to …
- … Francis wrote ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 17 July 1878] ), ‘a strong horizontal axis …
- … rather’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [before 3 August 1878] ). One day Francis observed that the …
- … out one’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). Sachs’s confidence was apparently …
- … him,’ he reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [22 June 1878] ). ‘Sachs doesn’t consider that …
- … all evils’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [24 and 25 July 1878] ). Babies and animals …
- … he added a week later ( letter to Francis Darwin, 14 July [1878] ). Darwin had of course observed …
- … have said a gee-gee’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 17 July [1878] ). On 12 September , Darwin …
- … will always do so’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 20 August [1878] ). Darwin remarked that a monkey …
- … in your house!’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 2 September [1878] ). More remarkable cases of …
- … of a thieving wasp’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 21 June 1878 ). An inspiration In …
- … ( letter from J.-B. Dumas and Joseph Bertrand, 5 August 1878 ). Despite his many botanical …
- … to me quite ridiculous’ ( letter to John Price, 2 April [1878] ). When a wealthy businessman tried …
- … ( letter from Edmund Mojsisovics von Mojsvár, 28 April 1878 ). ‘What a wonderful change in the …
- … The Swiss botanist Arnold Dodel-Port announced on 12 June 1878 the first issue of an atlas with …
- … come together’ ( letter from Arnold Dodel-Port, 18 June 1878 ). In countries where …
- … are without you’ (letters from Carl Kraus, [31?] January 1878 and 10 February 1878 ). Darwin …
- … been school-boys’ ( letter to Karl von Scherzer, 1 April 1878 ). More critics Closer …
- … matter’ ( letter from H. N. Ridley, [before 28 November 1878] ). Darwin received a copy of the …
- … care of himself ’ ( letter from J. B. Innes, 1 December 1878 ). Darwin did not think the Oxford …
Darwn's letters from 1878 online
Summary
Investigating the movements and 'sleep' of plants, being entertained by the mental faculties of his young grandson Bernard, finally elected a corresponding member of the French Académie des sciences, trying to secure a government grant to support…
Wearing his knowledge lightly: From Fritz Müller, 5 April 1878
Summary
Darwin received letters from so many people and wrote so many fascinating letters himself, that it’s hard to choose from many letters that stand out, but one of this editor’s favourites, that always brings a smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5…
Matches: 1 hits
- … smile, is a letter from Fritz Müller written 5 April 1878 . Müller was a German naturalist …
Diagrams and drawings in letters
Summary
Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…
Matches: 1 hits
- … specimen, both sides of which are reproduced, 29 January 1878 S. B. J. Skertchly's …
Power of movement in plants
Summary
Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Family experiments Darwin was an active and engaged father during his children's youth, involving them in his experiments and even occasionally using them as observational subjects. When his children…
3.8 Leonard Darwin, interior photo
Summary
< Back to Introduction Leonard Darwin, who created the distinctive image of his father sitting on the verandah at Down House, also portrayed him as a melancholy philosopher. His head, brightly lit from above, emerges from the enveloping darkness; he…
Matches: 6 hits
- … when he took his photographs. This one must be before August 1878, when it was reproduced as a …
- … copies in the Darwin archive say the photograph was taken in 1878. The latter date is accepted by …
- … Leonard wrote to his father from Brompton Barracks in April 1878 enclosing two photographs …
- … of the photograph at Down House that he took it in 1878. It was this photograph which …
- … date of creation undated; probably early 1878 computer-readable date c.1878-01-01 to c …
- … to his father, enclosing unidentified photographs, 25 April 1878. Woodburytype reproduction of …
Photograph album of German and Austrian scientists
Summary
The album was sent to Darwin to mark his birthday on 12 February 1877 by the civil servant Emil Rade, and contained 165 portraits of German and Austrian scientists. The work was lavishly produced and bound in blue velvet with metal embossing. Its ornate…
Darwin and the Church
Summary
The story of Charles Darwin’s involvement with the church is one that is told far too rarely. It shows another side of the man who is more often remembered for his personal struggles with faith, or for his role in large-scale controversies over the…
Movement in Plants
Summary
The power of movement in plants, published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which the assistance of one of his children, Francis Darwin, is mentioned on the title page. The research for this…
Matches: 4 hits
- … son Francis worked in this laboratory in the summers of 1878 and 1879, he encountered some of the …
- … Movement in plants , p. 179. In May 1878, Darwin had pointed out the importance of …
- … his experiments on the function of bloom. By December 1878, Darwin was thinking about the …
- … accuracy ( letter from J. D. Cooper, 13 December 1878 ). The method would be expensive, so Darwin …
4.31 'La Lune Rousse', Gill cartoon
Summary
< Back to Introduction A drawing of Darwin by André Gill borrows a satirical trope found in The Hornet, Fun and Punch, showing him with a large caricatured head joined to the body of an ape. However, La Lune Rousse is distinctively French in…
Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small
Summary
In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…
Matches: 4 hits
- … experiments. Francis went to Germany in the summer of 1878 for more experience in physiological …
- … this to you’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [1 August 1878] ). The last years also saw Darwin …
- … and Earthworms , pp. 221–8). Darwin resumed contact in 1878. On receiving Darwin’s letter, …
- … at wormbs”’ ( letter from Mary Johnson, [after 22 July 1878] ). Edition complete …
Darwin’s Photographic Portraits
Summary
Darwin was a photography enthusiast. This is evident not only in his use of photography for the study of Expression and Emotions in Man and Animal, but can be witnessed in his many photographic portraits and in the extensive portrait correspondence that…
Dining at Down House
Summary
Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Dining, Digestion, and Darwin's Domestic Life While Darwin is best remembered for his scientific accomplishments, he greatly valued and was strongly influenced by his domestic life. Darwin's…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Leonard Darwin to George Darwin, 8 February [1878] Darwin’s youngest son, Leonard (Lenny), …
1.13 Louisa Nash, drawing
Summary
< Back to Introduction This sketch portrait of Darwin was drawn by Louisa A‘hmuty Nash as a memento of her friendship with the Darwin family and a token of her unbounded admiration and affection for Darwin himself. She and her husband, the lawyer…
Matches: 3 hits
1.12 Marian Huxley, drawing
Summary
< Back to Introduction Portrayals of Darwin by women in his social circle cannot be lumped together as the products of adoring amateurs. In 1878 he was sketched by Marian (‘Mady’) Huxley, who was then only in her late teens, but already a trained 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: 1 hits
- … A. W. Rimpau, 10 December 1877 ). By the end of February 1878, Murray was ready to print the second …
4.33 'Harper's Weekly', Bellew caricature
Summary
< Back to Introduction In a page of comic drawings by Frank Bellew, ostensibly his ‘Sketches in the New York Aquarium’, yet another joke about Darwin’s simian connections makes an appearance. ‘The Chimpanzee’ sits on a fancy bed amid the straw…
4.30 'La Petite Lune', Gill cartoon
Summary
< Back to Introduction La Petite Lune was a sister paper of La Lune Rousse, and was published, edited and illustrated by André Gill, through 1878-9. It featured a series of caricatures titled ‘Les hommes illustrés’, to which this belongs. Gill again…
2.23 Hope Pinker statue, Oxford Museum
Summary
< Back to Introduction Henry Richard Hope Pinker’s life-size statue of Darwin was installed in the Oxford University Museum on 14 June 1899. It was the latest in a series of statues of great scientific thinkers, the ‘Founders and Improvers of Natural…
3.17 Lock and Whitfield, 'Men of Mark'
Summary
< Back to Introduction The ambitious series of photographs of Men of Mark, published by the firm of Lock and Whitfield between 1876 and 1883, was a successor to similar sets which had appeared in the 1850s and 1860s. This one was distinguished by its…
