From:
Hewett Cottrell Watson
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
10 Mar 1857
Source of text:
DAR 181: 35
Summary:
HCW is trying to define what CD means by "variable" genera.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Richard Hill
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
12 Mar 1857
Source of text:
DAR 205.2: 238
Summary:
Comments on transport of ducks to Jamaica by hurricanes,
fish feeding on seeds,
and sterility of birds in captivity.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Hewett Cottrell Watson
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
13 Mar 1857
Source of text:
DAR 181: 36
Summary:
Describes problems of classifying species in highly variable genera. Lists highly variable genera. Comments on the list of Asa Gray. Says species may be made to appear more or less variable according to whether a genus is divided into few or many species.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
15 Mar [1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 193
Summary:
Separation of sexes in trees [U. S.].
Do plants offer positive evidence for "continuous land" theory?
Protean genera.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
[21 Mar 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 192a
Summary:
Ranges of species in large vs small genera: Asa Gray’s compilation fits CD’s expectation.
CD studies seedling mortality in his weed garden.
JDH’s work on Indian flora.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
James Tenant
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
31 Mar 1857
Source of text:
DAR 205.2: 257
Summary:
Sends account of his successful experiments in feeding wheat seeds to minnows.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Hensleigh Wedgwood
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[before 29 Sept 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 48: A80–1
Summary:
Suggests CD use the common origin of the French "chef" and the English "head" or "évêque" and "bishop" to illustrate the parallels between extinction and transitional forms in language and palaeontology [see Natural selection, p. 384].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Edwards Crisp
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
4 Apr 1857
Source of text:
DAR 205.2: 221
Summary:
Reports on wheat in the stomach of fish he caught.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
8 Apr [1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 191
Summary:
Independence of variation from climate shown by several plant genera; CD asks for confirmation.
Progressing with book [Natural selection].
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
William Sharpey
Date:
9 Apr [1857]
Source of text:
DAR 249: 128 (photocopy)
Summary:
Recommendations of books of general interest [for the Royal Society library]. These include [Louis] Agassiz’s works, [William] McGillivray’s [History of] British birds, and David Low’s [On the domesticated animals of the British Islands].
Comments on current candidates for the Royal Society.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[11 Apr 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 104: 198–201
Summary:
JDH cites W. H. Harvey’s observations on Fucus and David Don’s on Juncus as examples of variations that are independent of climate. There are many such cases. Gives his working scheme for categorising variation.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
12 Apr [1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 192
Summary:
Thanks JDH for response on variation. Studying variations that seem correlated with environment, e.g., north vs south, ascending mountains.
CD’s weed garden: observations on slugs killing seedlings.
Seed-salting. One-seventh of the plants of any country could be transported 924 miles by sea and would germinate.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Thomas Vernon Wollaston
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[12 Apr 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 181: 139
Summary:
Lists groups of insects absent from the Madeiran fauna.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
George Robert Waterhouse
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
14 Apr 1857
Source of text:
DAR 181: 21
Summary:
Has found no reference to construction of bees’ cells in works referred to by CD. Describes cell of Osmia atricapilla. Hive-bees’ cell was described at Entomological Society.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
James Tenant
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
23 Apr 1857
Source of text:
DAR 205.2: 258
Summary:
Fish will take both sorts of seeds sent by CD, but will not take oats.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
James Dwight Dana
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
27 Apr 1857
Source of text:
DAR 162: 39
Summary:
In reply to CD’s query [see 2072], JDD describes what little is known about the crustacea of the Antarctic and southern lands.
Knows of no species of the cold temperate south identical with those of the cold temperate north.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
[29 Apr 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 194
Summary:
Curative power of hydropathy.
General hairiness of alpine plants questioned: direct environmental effect.
CD has long felt JDH is too hard on bad observers.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
[2 May 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 195
Summary:
JDH has shaved the hair off the alpine plant.
CD apologises for his criticism.
Apparent but false relations of plant structure to climate: heath-like foliage of all Cape of Good Hope plants.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
[3 May 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 114: 196
Summary:
JDH’s last letter demolishes woolly alpine plant theory.
Correlation of apetalous flowers and cold climate.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
William Erasmus Darwin
Date:
13 May [1857]
Source of text:
DAR 210.6: 15
Summary:
Discusses family health and affairs.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
