CD and J. D. Hooker have differed on the following question and agreed to ask several botanists: would a good botanist describing a local flora record varieties as readily in large as in small genera?
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
CD and J. D. Hooker have differed on the following question and agreed to ask several botanists: would a good botanist describing a local flora record varieties as readily in large as in small genera?
Fertilisation of clover by bees in New Zealand.
Uneasy about biggest genera and their varieties.
H. T. Buckle’s sophistry [History of civilisation in England (1857)].
Working on bees’ cells.
Congratulations on birth of THH’s daughter [Jessie].
On aboriginal dun colour of horses.
Examples of inaccuracies and perpetuation of errors [on hybrids] by "compilers, of which I am one".
CD intends to enter WED at Christ’s College.
Thanks him for inquiries made about horses.
JDH has confirmed CD’s opinion on the affinities of species in great genera. Is looking at large genera in several local Floras to find the "range & commonness of varying species".
Has been "beyond measure interested" in the construction instincts of the hive-bee.
WDF’s nephew has forgotten to mention the most important element, whether the lizards’ eggs floated and stayed alive on sea-water.
Thanks for facts about turkeys and terrier [see Natural selection, p. 481 n.].
Notes views of Hooker and George Bentham on monotypic forms.
Has tabulated several floras and finds that large genera show preponderance in numbers of varieties. Now sees his results are quite worthless.
C. P. Smyth’s observations on geology and natural history of Tenerife are not precise enough to warrant publication in Philosophical Transactions. Suggests CPS draw up an abstract, for the Proceedings, of specific points actually observed, rather than conclusions arrived at on insufficient grounds.
C. C. Babington agrees with JDH that botanists tend to note varieties more in large genera than in very small ones.
Four queries regarding the habits of bees and ants with answers by FS interlined between each query.
Asks whether correspondent can assist in determining value of slate slabs with relief figures executed for Josiah Wedgwood [I].
Heartened that tabulations of small and large genera done in different ways yield good results. JDH has done some tabulations but has not followed CD’s method of getting equal numbers of small and large genera.
In great want of two books, which he had borrowed previously: Boreau Flora du Centre de la France and A. E. Fürnrohr, Naturhistorische Topographie von Regensburg, Bd 2 Flora Ratisbonensis.
JDH’s "objection" that small local genera do not vary and mundane ones do, is exactly CD’s point. Local floras useful to test idea that varieties are incipient species. Same genus in different countries cannot be lumped.
Thanks JDH for his objections; will respond by sending fair copy of MS when written.
Recommends Leonard Horner’s "Account of some recent researches near Cairo" for publication in Philosophical Transactions [R. Soc. Lond. 148 (1858): 53–9]. Believes all the details and sections should be published in full because of importance of investigations leading to the conclusion that man has existed in Egypt for over 13000 years.
Returns the Greenland catalogue, which he has kept too long.
Expresses his strong opinion that Huxley’s paper ["Agamic reproduction and morphology of Aphis", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 22 (1858): 193–220, 221–36] should be published.
Writing section on large and small genera [for Natural selection, ch. 4].
Huxley supersedes Owen on parthenogenesis.
Buckle’s History of civilisation in England extremely interesting.
Thanks LJ for his book [Observations in meteorology (1858)].
CD has been working on his species book [Natural selection].
Has become dreadfully heterodox on immutability of species.
His work on pigeons: variation under domestication throws the greatest light on variation in a state of nature.