On why it is said Indian elephants do not breed in captivity; mating habits of male so violent as to require restraint.
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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.
On why it is said Indian elephants do not breed in captivity; mating habits of male so violent as to require restraint.
Hybrid geese.
Proportions of sexes in sheep and cattle.
Pairing habits of crows.
Problems with Mr Robinson, who has suddenly departed for Ireland for a month. The parish urgently needs some respectable man to hold the living permanently.
Enthusiastic about JDH’s plan for a British Flora – "a grand idea to make a Flora a guide for knowledge already acquired & to be acquired". Gives examples of subjects.
No work exists on various biological points in plants.
Sends abstract of his views on change of climate and a copy of a paper.
Glacial climates.
Requests autograph.
Acknowledges receipt of book and manuscript.
Full background on the difficulties of the vicarage of Down.
Sends his autograph.
Describes a supposed cross between a cow and a red deer or doe.
Thanks for the pamphlets; JL’s paper, "Primitive condition of man" [Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 6 (1868): 328].
Sends news of his and Frank’s doings at Cambridge.
Asks GHD to look in William Thomson’s book [W. Thomson and P. G. Tait, Treatise on natural philosophy, vol. 1 (1867)] to see how many million years ago Thomson says earth’s crust solidified. CD is troubled by "brevity of the world", because pre-Silurian creatures must have lived during endless ages "else my views wd be wrong, which is impossible – Q.E.D.".
Does not think the supposed cow–deer hybrid worth investigating.
John Robinson [the curate at Down] reported to be walking with girls at night.
Sends letter [from Haeckel?] opened by mistake.
August Schleicher a great loss.
On spurs in peacocks. [See Descent 1: 290 n.]
Thanks WDF for information about sheep and cattle.
Mentions corrections for new edition of Origin [5th ed. (1869)].
Will try to get more information about the supposed hybrid [of cow and deer].
The rumours about John Robinson [curate of Down] cause JBI concern. He will seek to get the facts – will try to protect Robinson against malicious rumours, but if he is immoral he must go forthwith.
Hopes Miss [Sarah Elizabeth] Wedgwood will sell part of her land for a parsonage at Down. Recounts his futile efforts to obtain land in the past.
Encloses news item about the supposed hybrid [of cow and deer].