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Darwin in letters, 1880: Sensitivity and worms

Summary

‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…

Matches: 23 hits

  • … pension for Alfred Russel Wallace, and continued his aid for James Torbitt and the quest for a …
  • … my grandfather’s character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
  • … have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880 …
  • … delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and …
  • … much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and …
  • … modified; but now I much regret that I did not do so’ ( letter to Samuel Butler, 3 January 1880 ). …
  • … and ‘decided on laying the matter before the public’ ( letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880 …
  • … and uncertain about what to do. He drafted two versions of a letter to the Athen æum , sending …
  • … in which he will have the last word’, she warned ( letter from H. E. Litchfield, [1 February 1880] …
  • … who will fight to the end’, added her husband Richard ( letter from R. B. Litchfield, 1 February …
  • … him & given him Darwinophobia? It is a horrid disease’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 3 February …
  • … squashing the ‘mosquito inflated to an elephant’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 9 December 1880 ). …
  • … inches of soil as a protection against enemies.’ ‘Your letter … made me open my eyes’, Gray replied …
  • … his original description. Darwin was puzzled: ‘If my letter opened your eyes, yours has opened mine …
  • … to the same species, should behave so differently.’ ( Letter to Asa Gray, 17 February 1880 .) But …
  • … had worked on the nerves of marine animals, suggested on 10 December that Darwin try experiments …
  • … Association were received in the drawing room and veranda on 10 July. According to the report of the …
  • … Darwin had tried for four years to aid the Irish businessman James Torbitt in his efforts to breed a …
  • … subscriptions were raised, with Darwin, Thomas Farrer, and James Caird leading the campaign. In …
  • … worth some millions per annum to England’ ( letter from James Torbitt, 5 March 1880 ). Darwin met …
  • … men care only about their party quarrels’ ( letter to James Torbitt, 9 May 1880 ). Politicians …
  • … flooded with disease-proof new varieties’ ( letter from James Torbitt, 23 December 1880 , …
  • … present’ (letters to C. W. Fox, 29 March 1880 and 10 [April] 1880 ). Feeling …

Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life

Summary

1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time.  And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth.  All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…

Matches: 28 hits

  • … ‘my wife … poor creature, has won only 2490 games’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876 ). …
  • … quantity of work’ left in him for ‘new matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The …
  • … to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February …
  • … & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24 April 1876. …
  • … provided evidence for the ‘advantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising …
  • … year to write about his life ( Correspondence vol. 23, letter from Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, 20 …
  • … however, continued to be raised in various ways. On 10 January, Charles O’Shaughnessy , an Irish …
  • … nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
  • … him ‘basely’ and who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
  • … disgrace’ of blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
  • … must have been cast by the ‘poorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February …
  • … them to such extent?’ enthused Hermann Hoffmann on 10 January , while on 23 June, Auguste Forel …
  • … her questions were ‘too silly to deserve an answer’ ( letter from S. B. Herrick, 12 February 1876 …
  • … on Dionaea ‘to test the insect eating theory’ ( letter from Peter Henderson, 15 November 1876 …
  • … of plant digestion further, had already reported on 10 January that he had confirmed the ‘more …
  • … sending Darwin small amendments to his results ( letter from Moritz Schiff, 8 May 1876 ). …
  • … to get positive results in this year’s experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March …
  • … had been criticised from quite a different angle when James Clerk Maxwell discussed the limits of …
  • … in the Encyclopaedia Britannica the previous year ( letter to G. H. Darwin, [after 4 September …
  • … and to promote work he admired. He was so interested in a letter from Fritz Müller in Brazil …
  • … with the ants that inhabited the trunk that he sent the letter to Nature for publication. ‘It …
  • … communicated this information in an article in Nature ( letter from Johann von Fischer, [before …
  • … phyllotaxis by the mutual pressure of very young buds’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 21 June [1876] ). …
  • … an individual would, when received by the Belfast merchant James Torbitt, become a weapon in a …
  • … which shall hunt it to the death’ ( letter from James Torbitt, 19 April 1876 ). Darwin beat an …
  • … to consider Torbitt an untrustworthy fanatic ( letter to James Torbitt, 21 April 1876 ). …
  • … Caroline home, they had experienced a further calamity. On 10 May, William suffered serious …
  • … mentioned his oldest daughter Annie, who died at the age of 10 in 1851, but William, who was 11 …

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: 30 hits

  • his publishers, he warned that it wasdry 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 agea dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
  • wrinkles one all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879
  • itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and
  • office to complete Horaces marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
  • but they wereas nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
  • on your lifes work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
  • to wish Darwin along and serene evening of life’. This letter crossed with one from Darwin, …
  • the statementIn the beginning was carbon’ ( letter from Hermann Müller, 14 February 1879 ). …
  • as theorgan ofuncultivated materialism”’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 2 June 1879 ]). …
  • up the glory & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879
  • wholly & shamefully ignorant of my grandfathers life’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 March 1879
  • known philosopher and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert
  • these things with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May
  • paternal grandparents thoughtperfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). …
  • heard of himconstantly, & always with pride’ ( letter from Reginald Darwin, 29 March 1879 ). …
  • essay might end upinterfering with each other’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 27 March 1879 ). Darwin
  • made such an introductionalmost indispensable’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 ). Darwin
  • interesting to the public’ ( letter to Reginald Darwin, 10 April [1879] ). However, even members
  • he disagreed with Henrietta, or that Krause had written on 10 July to say that he had derived
  • to be tempted out of hisproper work’ ( letter to James Paget, 14 July 1879 ). At this time, his
  • … & experiment’ ( letter from J. F. Moulton, 10 December 1879 ). In reply to Darwins response
  • Leopold Würtenberger fared better. When he wrote on 10 January to ask whether Darwin could find him
  • Frederick King, 27 February 1879 ). The Belfast businessman James Torbitt, who wished to carry out
  • in 1876. By 1878, Darwin was sufficiently impressed by Torbitts dedication and experimental method
  • forthcoming, Darwin had stepped in with funds of his own. Torbitt sent an account of the experiments
  • a nature’, Darwin wrote in reply on 3 May , but told Torbitt, ‘I have today planted & …
  • that perhaps most pleased Darwin came from the surgeon James Paget, who, in a letter of 18

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: 25 hits

  • Hooker, ‘or as far as I know any scientific man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December [1878] ). …
  • or arched.… Almost all seedlings come up arched’ ( letter to Sophy Wedgwood, 24 March [187880] ). …
  • 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] …
  • the pot-plant every day & never the bedded out one’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July
  • … ‘I have borrowed Cieselski & read him,’ he reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [22 June 1878
  • books & red-wine which is here the cure for all evils’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [24 and 25
  • is very sweet & pretty,’ he added a week later ( letter to Francis Darwin, 14 July [1878] ). …
  • in a booboo, whereas I ought to have said a gee-gee’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 17 July [1878] ). …
  • close down on the object, but he will always do so’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 20 August [1878] ). …
  • idiot, a deaf-mute, a monkey & a baby in your house!’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 2 September
  • that I want to play the part of a thieving wasp’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 21 June 1878 ). …
  • … (letters from Carl Kraus, [31?] January 1878 and 10 February 1878 ). Darwin learned that his
  • God looked at through natures phenomena’ ( letter from James Grant, 6 March 1878 ). Darwin
  • may hope for whatever he earnestly desires’ ( letter to James Grant, 11 March 1878 ). The question
  • February , Darwin was contacted by the Irish businessman, James Torbitt, about an ambitious project
  • to J. S. Henslow, 28 October [1845] ). He was aware of Torbitts ambitions, having corresponded
  • 1878] ). Further meetings were held with Farrer and James Caird, a member of the Royal Agricultural
  • your work in this case would soon be known’ ( letter to James Torbitt, 4 March 1878 ). The

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: 27 hits

  • … 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 …
  • … within the family, Henrietta explained to Stephen on 10 January , hoping that he did not think …
  • … 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 …
  • … investigate aggregation. He explained to Fritz Müller on 10 September why he had embarked on …
  • … for more suggestions of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March …
  • … supposed he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The …
  • … dead a work falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). …
  • … conversation with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), …
  • … add, however little, to the general stock of knowledge’ ( letter to E. W. Bok, 10 May 1881 ). …
  • … regular ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
  • … any future publication & to acknowledge any criticism’ ( letter to C. G. Semper, 19 July 1881 …
  • … view of the nature & capabilities of the Fuegians’ ( letter to W. P. Snow, 22 November 1881 ). …
  • … the kindly protection of the high priests of science’ ( letter from Francisco de Arruda Furtado, 29 …
  • … Nature , which he thought ‘an excellent Journal’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 4 July [1881] ). In …
  • … minds, without being in the least conscious of it’ ( letter to Alexander Agassiz, 5 May 1881 ). …
  • … this produced about the year 1840(?) on all our minds’ ( letter to John Lubbock, [18 September 1881 …
  • … big one’ and had ‘gone much out’ of his mind ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 June [1881] ). Feeling …
  • … than for originality’, and telling Hooker, ‘Your long letter has stirred many pleasant memories of …
  • … poured in so atrocious a manner on all physiologists’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 April 1881 ). …
  • … 1881 ). However, some requests were inescapable. When James Paget wrote on 1 June to invite …
  • … to R. F. Cooke, 5 October 1881 ). The publication date was 10 October, but by 7 October Darwin …
  • … of wind transport in the growth of soil, while his brother James Geikie told Darwin on 10 October …
  • … to raise money for the Belfast potato-blight researcher James Torbitt; Fritz Müller was offered £100 …