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Darwin Correspondence Project

Bibliography of Darwin’s geological publications

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Darwin's Geological observations
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Geological observations on the volcanic islands and parts of South America visited during the voyage of H.M.S. 'Beagle'
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Digitised by Smithsonian Libraries

This list includes papers read by Darwin to the Geological Society of London, his books on the geology of the Beagle voyage, and other publications on geological topics.  Author-date citations refer to entries in the Darwin Correspondence Project’s cumulative bibliography.  Where appropriate, references are given to reprints available in John van Wyhe ed., Charles Darwin’s shorter publications, 1829-1883 (Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2009).  ‘F’ numbers refer to R. B. Freeman’s standard bibliography of Darwin’s works.

—Extracts from letters addressed to Professor Henslow. Pamphlet printed for private distribution by the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 1 December 1835.  [Shorter publications, pp.  2-15.  F1.]

—Geological notes made during a survey of the east and west coasts of South America, in the years 1832, 1833, 1834, and 1835, with an account of a transverse section of the Cordilleras of the Andes between Valparaiso and Mendoza. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2 (1838): 210-12.

—Observations of proofs of recent elevation on the coast of Chili, made during the survey of His Majesty’s Ship Beagle, commanded by Capt. FitzRoy, R.N. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2 (1838): 446-9.  [Shorter publications, pp.  32-5.  F1645.]

—A sketch of the deposits containing extinct Mammalia in the neighbourhood of the Plata.Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2 (1838): 542-4.  [Shorter publications, pp.  35-7.  F1646]

—On certain areas of elevation and subsidence in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as deduced from the study of coral formations. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 2 (1838): 552-4.  [Shorter publications, pp.  37-9.  F1647.]

—On the formation of mould. Transactions of the Geological Society of London 2nd ser., pt. 3, 5 (1840): 505-9.  [Shorter publications, pp.  48-50.  F1648.]

—On the connexion of certain volcanic phenomena in South America; and on the formation of mountain chains and volcanos, as the effect of the same power by which continents are elevated. Transactions of the Geological Society of London 2nd ser., pt. 3, 5 (1840): 601-31.  [Shorter publications, pp.  97-124.  F1656.]

—Observations on the parallel roads of Glen Roy, and of other parts of Lochaber in Scotland, with an attempt to prove that they are of marine origin. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1839) pt 1: 39-81. [Shorter publications, pp.  50-91.  F1653.]

—Note on a rock seen on an iceberg in 61° south latitude. Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 9 (1839): 528-9.  [Shorter publications, pp.  95-6.  F1652.]

—On a remarkable bar of sandstone off Pernambuco, on the Coast of Brazil. Philosophical Magazine 19 (1841): 257-60.  [Shorter publications, pp.  137-39.  F266.]

—On the distribution of erratic boulders and on the contemporaneous unstratified deposits of South America. Transactions of the Geological Society of London 2nd ser. 6 (1842): 415-31.  [Shorter publications, pp. 147-162.  F1661.]

The structure and distribution of coral reefs. Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1842.  [F271.]

—Notes on the effects produced by the ancient glaciers of Caernarvonshire, and on the boulders transported by floating ice. Philosophical Magazine 21 (1842): 180-8.   [Shorter publications, pp.  140-7.  F1660.]

—Remarks on the preceding paper, in a letter from Charles Darwin, Esq., to Mr. Maclaren.Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal 34 (1843): 47-50.  [Shorter publications, pp.  162-5.  F1662.]

Geological observations on the volcanic islands, visited during the voyage of HMS Beagle, together with some brief notices on the geology of Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. Being the second part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1844.  [F272.]

—What is the action of common salt on carbonate of lime. Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 14 September 1844, pp. 628-9.  [Shorter publications, pp.  176.  F1668.]

—Extracts from letters to the General Secretary, on the analogy of the structure of some volcanic rocks with that of glaciers. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 2 (1844-50): 17-18.  [Shorter publications, pp.  188.  F1670.]

Geological observations on South America. Being the third part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. FitzRoy RN, during the years 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1846.  [F273.]

—On the geology of the Falkland Islands.  Proceedings of the Geological Society pt. 1, 2 (1846): 267-74.  [Shorter publications, pp.  196-204.  F1674.]

—Origin of saliferous deposits: salt-lakes of Patagonia and La Plata. Proceedings of the Geological Society pt. 2, 2 (1846): 127-8.

—On the transportal of erratic boulders from a lower to a higher level. Proceedings of the Geological Society 4 (1848): 315-23.  [Shorter publications, pp.  209-17.  F1677.]

—Geology. Section VI, pp. 156-95, in A manual of scientific enquiry; prepared for the use of Her Majesty’s Navy: and adapted for travellers in general, edited by John F. W. Herschel. London: John Murray. 1849.  [Shorter publications, pp.  217-35.  F325.]

—On British fossil Lepadidæ.  Proceedings of the Geological Society 6 (1850): 439-40.  [Shorter publications, pp.  241.  F1679.]

—On the power of icebergs to make rectilinear, uniformly-directed grooves across a submarine undulatory surface. Philosophical Magazine 10 (1855):96-8.  [Shorter publications, pp.  244-6.  F1681.]

—On the thickness of the Pampean formation, near Buenos Ayres.  Proceedings of the Geological Society 19 (1863): 68-71.  [Shorter publications, pp.  342-5.  F1724.]

The structure and distribution of coral reefs. By Charles Darwin. Revised edition. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1874.  [F275.]

The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms, with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London. 1881.  [F1357.]

—Extracts from two letters: on glacial drift. In Prehistoric Europe: a geologic sketch, edited by James Geikie, pp. 141-2. Also, Life and letters of Charles Darwin, edited by Francis Darwin, 3: 213-15.  [Shorter publications, pp.  436-7.  F135.]

Suggestions for further reading…

On Darwin’s work in geology:

Herbert, Sandra. 2005. Charles Darwin, geologist. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. (See also Herbert’s exhaustive bibliography.)

Rhodes, Frank H. T. 1991. Darwin’s search for a theory of the earth: symmetry, simplicity, and speculation. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 193–229.

Rudwick, Martin J. S. 1974. Darwin and Glen Roy: a ‘Great Failure’ in scientific method? Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science 5: 97–185.

Secord, James A. 1991. The discovery of a vocation: Darwin’s early geology. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 133–57.

Stoddart, David R. 1976. Darwin, Lyell, and the geological significance of coral reefs. British Journal for the History of Science 9: 199–218.

On the history of geology:

Greene, Mott C. 1982. Geology in the nineteenth century. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.

Laudan, Rachel. 1994 [1987]. From mineralogy to geology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rudwick, Martin J. S. 2005. Bursting the limits of time. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rudwick, Martin J. S. 2008. Worlds before Adam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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