From J. T. Riches 12 November 1877
Summary
Has studied the Comparettia falcata, not mentioned in Orchids, and found it is often self-fertilising.
| Author: | John Thomas Riches |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 12 Nov 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 176: 154 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11231 |
From D. B. Miller 12 May 1877
Summary
Offers a supplementary component to sexual selection which CD ignored in Descent: the direct effect of differences in ardour between males and females.
| Author: | David Benton Miller |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 12 May 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 179 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10959 |
To George Bentham 12 July 1877
Summary
Thanks GB for corrections to chapter on cleistogamic flowers [Forms of flowers].
Asks for his opinion on "bloom"-producing plants in different climates.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | George Bentham |
| Date: | 12 July 1877 |
| Classmark: | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Bentham Correspondence, Vol. 3, Daintree–Dyer, 1830–84, GEB/1/3: f. 721) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11049 |
To M. T. Masters [6–12 December 1877]
Summary
Reports on the flowering and growth of a branch of Echeveria stolonifera.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Maxwell Tylden Masters |
| Date: | [6–12 Dec 1877] |
| Classmark: | Gardeners’ Chronicle, 29 December 1877, p. 805 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11294 |
To August Weismann 12 January 1877
Summary
Comments on AW’s book [Studien zur Descendenz-Theorie (1875–6)], especially on mimicry in caterpillars.
Mentions sets of drawings of British Lepidoptera in all stages. Would AW like to see them?
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leopold Friedrich August (August) Weismann |
| Date: | 12 Jan 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 148: 348 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10784 |
From R. A. Vance 12 November 1877
Summary
Writes of his observations on the "valves of Houston" in the rectum, which he believes to be rudimentary organs.
| Author: | Reuben Aleshire Vance |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 12 Nov 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 180: 1 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11232 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … From R. A. Vance 12 November 1877 …
- … DAR 180: 1 Reuben Aleshire Vance Gallipolis, Ohio 12 Nov 1877 Charles Robert Darwin …
- … Gallipolis, Ohio, u.s.a. , Nov 12 th 1877 Dear Sir:— It is with no little hesitation that …
- … colon on the right side, while in twelve (12) cases the valve on the left side above the …
To Leonard Blomefield 13 March 1877
Summary
CD doubts that he will be able to do much more that is new, but cannot bear idleness. Has great amount of material on variation under nature, but so much has been published since the appearance of the Origin that he doubts he has the power of mind to render the mass into a digested whole.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Leonard Jenyns; Leonard Blomefield |
| Date: | 13 Mar 1877 |
| Classmark: | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (L16163.017b) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10891 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … his name to Blomefield ( ODNB ). See letter from Leonard Blomefield, 12 March 1877 . …
- … See letter from Leonard Blomefield, 12 March 1877 and n. 4. …
- … See letter from Leonard Blomefield, 12 March 1877 and n. 3. John Edward Gray was …
- … lifetime. See letter from Leonard Blomefield, 12 March 1877 and n. 1. CD had received two …
To G. S. Ffinden 31 January 1877
Summary
Encloses £25 contribution.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | George Sketchley Ffinden |
| Date: | 31 Jan 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 261.11: 12 (EH 88206064) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10823 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … DAR 261.11: 12 (EH 88206064) Charles Robert Darwin Down 31 Jan 1877 George Sketchley …
To C. H. Drinkwater 24 May 1877
Summary
Sends a contribution [£10] to CHD’s fundraising.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Henry Drinkwater |
| Date: | 24 May 1877 |
| Classmark: | Shrewsbury Chronicle, 12 January 1894, p. 8 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10971G |
Matches: 1 hit
- … Shrewsbury Chronicle , 12 January 1894, p. 8 Charles Robert Darwin 24 May 1877 Charles …
To H. W. Bates 6 February [1877]
Summary
Requests return of August Weismann’s letter which refers to eggs.
Curious about the drawing [of the caterpillar? See 10780].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Henry Walter Bates |
| Date: | 6 Feb [1877] |
| Classmark: | Cleveland Health Sciences Library (Robert M. Stecher collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10829 |
From Hugo Schneider 10 February 1877
Summary
Sends birthday greetings. Asks for autographed photograph.
| Author: | Hugo Schneider |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 10 Feb 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 177: 60 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10838 |
To R. A. Vance 4 December 1877
Summary
Thanks RAV for valuable letter [11232]. CD too ignorant of anatomy to form a decided opinion, but is inclined to attribute spiral folds to reversion and the valves to partial abortion of the fold. Asks RAV to verify by examining lower intestine of an opossum for the structure. If missing he would hesitate to allude to reversion. If RAV can prove the nature of these remnants it would be a conclusion of much interest.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Reuben Aleshire Vance |
| Date: | 4 Dec 1877 |
| Classmark: | Cleveland Health Sciences Library |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11269 |
From R. F. Cooke 13 December 1877
Summary
Messrs Clowes will make CD’s corrections and adjust index of Cross and self-fertilisation. Of this work only 1500 copies have been printed. Edition is sold out and account is enclosed.
Of 500 copies of Climbing plants [2d ed.] printed in June 1876, 450 were still unsold as of June 1877.
| Author: | Robert Francis Cooke; John Murray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 13 Dec 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 499, DAR 210.11: 6 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11278 |
From Francis Galton 22 February 1877
Summary
Attributes the Castilian accent of speech of deaf and dumb men to imitation of their teachers’ lip movements.
| Author: | Francis Galton |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 22 Feb 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 105: A97–8 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10859 |
From Wilhelm Breitenbach 19 September 1877
Summary
Describes data relating to variability of Primula elatior.
| Author: | Wilhelm Breitenbach |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 19 Sept 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 160: 291 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11145 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … 4 7 5 8 5 6 4 127 Summa: 99 Gleichgrifflig 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 12 Summa: 25 Kurzgrifflig 1 …
- … 2 2 2 5 Summa: 12 Gleichgrifflig 1 1 1 1 1 Summa: 5. Langgrifflig. 1 3 Summa: 4 …
- … styled: 4 7 5 8 5 6 4 127 Total: 99 Homo-styled 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 12 Total: 25 Short-styled 1 …
- … 2 2 2 5 Total: 12 Homo-styled 1 1 1 1 1 Total: 5. Long-styled. 1 3 Total: 4 Short-styled. …
From W. M. Moorsom 10 September 1877
Summary
In Descent [1: 12] CD discusses intoxication among animals. South African elephants reportedly eat a plant that makes them wild.
| Author: | Warren Maude Moorsom |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 10 Sept 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 234 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11132 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … In Descent [1: 12] CD discusses intoxication among animals. South African elephants …
To Ferdinand von Hochstetter 14 February 1877
Summary
Sends thanks to Anthropological Society for sending birthday greetings.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Ferdinand von Hochstetter |
| Date: | 14 Feb 1877 |
| Classmark: | RR Auction (dealers) (April 2006) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10844A |
Matches: 1 hit
- … Anthropological Society of Vienna) has not been found. CD was 68 on 12 February 1877. …
From J. D. Hooker 19 March 1877
Summary
Oliver cannot, as CD has requested, hunt for trimorphic flowers in the Herbarium’s collection of Oxalis specimens. He would help Frank if he comes.
| Author: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 19 Mar 1877 |
| Classmark: | DAR 104: 80–1 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10898 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … found, but see the letter from Daniel Oliver, 12 March 1877 . Oxalis is the genus of wood …
To Robert Damon 15 October 1877
Summary
Cannot give information requested. Seems incredible that mere contact should be poisonous.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Robert Damon |
| Date: | 15 Oct 1877 |
| Classmark: | Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Slg. Darmstaedter Lc 1859: Darwin, Charles, Bl. 212–213) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-11185 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … he could corroborate these reports (see letter from Robert Damon, 12 October 1877 ). …
From M. T. Masters [before 13 December 1877]
Summary
Thanks CD for his specimen of "self-containedness". Some of the bromeliads will flower under similar treatment, but MTM does not know whether they seed.
| Author: | Maxwell Tylden Masters |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [before 13 Dec 1877] |
| Classmark: | DAR 171: 65 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4888 |
| Darwin, C. R. | (42) |
| Cooke, R. F. | (4) |
| John Murray | (4) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (3) |
| Darwin, Francis | (2) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (65) |
| Romanes, G. J. | (3) |
| Farrer, T. H. | (2) |
| Galton, Francis | (2) |
| Reade, T. M. | (2) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (107) |
| Cooke, R. F. | (5) |
| John Murray | (5) |
| Galton, Francis | (4) |
| Darwin, G. H. | (3) |
Lost in translation: From Auguste Forel, 12 November 1874
Summary
You receive a gift from your scientific hero Charles Darwin. It is a book that contains sections on your favourite topic—ants. If only you had paid attention when your mother tried to teach you English you might be able to read it. But you didn’t, and you…
Matches: 1 hits
- … barely understand a word. Writing in French on 12 November 1874 to thank Darwin for the …
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: 9 hits
- … Correspondence vol. 10, letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] and n. 13). Initially, …
- … 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 . …
- … punctatum. 11. Mormodes aurantiaca 12. ‘Anoectochilus argenteus 5 s .’ deleted in …
- … Bolbophyllum barbigerum 12 major …
- … Ampelidae. 11. Alloplectus chrysanthus. 12. Bulbophyllum barbigerum. 13. …
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: 12 hits
- … Seventy years old Darwin’s seventieth birthday on 12 February was a cause for international …
- … and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ). The masters of …
- … ). The botanist and schoolteacher Hermann Müller wrote on 12 February to wish Darwin a ‘long and …
- … well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and letter from Leonard …
- … ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 July [1879] ). It was little …
- … 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 …
- … not to have come up when the Darwins lunched with him on 12 August (Darwin’s ‘Journal’). Nor did …
- … the world. At the end of the year he was awarded a prize of 12,000 francs by the Turin Academy of …
- … which greatly pleased Darwin ( letter from Grant Allen, 12 February 1879 ). One of Allen’s targets …
- … engagement being made public ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 12 October 1879 ). Darwin’s response not …
- … accurate in its treatment’ ( letter from Francis Galton, 12 November 1879 ). The comment that …
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: 11 hits
- … (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 …
- … Review & in the same type’ ( letter from John Murray, 12 August 1874 ). George’s letter …
- … he finally wrote a polite, very formal letter to Mivart on 12 January 1875 , refusing to hold any …
- … & snugness’ ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October [1874] ). More …
- … vicar of Deptford ( letter from Emma Darwin to J. B. Innes, 12 October [1874] ), but to her …
- … mechanism that Darwin agreed with ( letter to F. J. Cohn, 12 October 1874 ). Darwin’s American …
- … bank with enormous tips to his ears ( letter from Asa Gray, 12 May 1874 ). The Manchester …
- … excellent, & as clear as light’ ( letter to John Tyndall, 12 August [1874] ). Hooker …
1.2 George Richmond, marriage portrait
Summary
< Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more may once have existed. In a letter of 1873 an old Shrewsbury friend, Arthur Mostyn Owen, offered to send Darwin a watercolour sketch of him, painted many years…
Matches: 1 hits
- … < Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more …
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: 6 hits
- … made a small omission ’. Stephen’s reply on 12 January was flattering, reassuring, and …
- … books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 May he described …
- … 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 …
- … fight’ (letters to J. D. Hooker, 6 August 1881 and 12 August 1881 ). Darwin may have …
- … else’s judgment on the subject ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 12 July 1881 ). However, some requests …
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: 3 hits
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: 6 hits
- … Hooker: ‘he is no common man’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ). Two sexual …
- … of the year, he wrote to Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 [December 1862] ): ‘my notions on …
- … least 3 classes of dimorphism’ ( letter to Daniel Oliver, 12 [April 1862] ), and experimenting to …
- … 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 …
German and Dutch photograph albums
Summary
Darwin Day 2018: To celebrate Darwin's 209th birthday, we present two lavishly produced albums of portrait photographs which Darwin received from continental admirers 141 years ago. These unusual gifts from Germany and the Netherlands are made…
Matches: 1 hits
- … their generous sympathy. ( Letter to A. A. van Bemmelen, 12 February 1877 ) View the …
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: 5 hits
- … than insectivorous plants. As he confessed to Hooker on 12 December , ‘I have not felt so angry …
- … from his family, he sent a curt note to Mivart on 12 January , breaking off all future …
- … of a bill that was presented to the House of Commons on 12 May, one week after a rival bill based on …
- … The author, Fritz Schultze, contacted Darwin himself on 12 June , describing the aims of his book …
- … scientific Socy. has done in my time,’ he told Hooker on 12 December . ‘I wish that I knew what …
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: 3 hits
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
- … Rubiaceae with enclosures containing bud samples, 12 May 1878 G. H. Darwin's …
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…
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…
Darwin’s queries on expression
Summary
When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…
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…
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: 3 hits
Henrietta Darwin's diary
Summary
Darwin's daughter Henrietta kept a diary for a few momentous weeks in 1871. This was the year in which Descent of Man, the most controversial of her father's books after Origin itself, appeared, a book which she had helped him write. The small…
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: 3 hits
Darwin & Glen Roy
Summary
Although Darwin was best known for his geological work in South America and other remote Beagle destinations, he made one noteworthy attempt to explain a puzzling feature of British geology. In 1838, two years after returning from the voyage, he travelled…
