Reports two observations on crossing in dogs: the preservation of both pure types in the offspring of a pointer and a setter, and the influence of a first mating with a mongrel on the progeny of a Barbary bitch and a subsequent Barbary male.
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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.
Reports two observations on crossing in dogs: the preservation of both pure types in the offspring of a pointer and a setter, and the influence of a first mating with a mongrel on the progeny of a Barbary bitch and a subsequent Barbary male.
Sends Dallas’ specimen of indexing [for Variation].
Asks CD’s opinion of likelihood of a hybrid of ass and bull, reported in a MS of a journey to Asia Minor he is reading.
Sends a letter he wrote in 1862 [see 3482].
Will send proto-Lamarckian pamphlet [1799] by Charles White, if CD wishes. It has a graduated scale of types from snipe to man.
WSD is pleased that CD approves his index draft [for Variation]; notes his objection to long list of references under "Dogs" and will try to find a principle for shortening it. He has not indexed all authors’ names; is this practice satisfactory?
Has sent CD’s queries on expression to some friends; encloses one set of replies [missing].
Remarks on Darwinism’s reception. The radical press shies away, out of ignorance, because CD may be made out to be a Tory. He has met a Darwinian Marchioness.
The mystery of sex is the origin of all religion.
Sends Swiss Aquilegia flowers in which insects have eaten away the spurs.
Suggests fetid smell of Stapelia attracts carrion flies.
Thanks CD for his two notes [on indexing references to authors]; will increase the scope of his citations by including those quoted in footnotes in support of statements in the text.
Is not writing prospectus [of Variation] – merely sketch of contents and tenor of first volume for advertisement to booksellers.
Questions on details for the translation.
Publisher anxious to get volume out.
Distribution of plants.
Removal of posterior molars a common dental practice in America [see Descent 1: 27].
Writing article on Chillingham Park and its wild cattle; requests information on CD’s observations on their character and original breed. Was referred to CD by Lord and Lady Tankerville.
Is reading sheets of Variation.
Suggests his father lend him the money to pay WED’s succession duty and thereby secure a discount.
Will not be inclined to challenge Pangenesis.
Admits CD’s victory over JDH’s continental hypothesis (but will not give up Greenland).
Relation of variation to circumstances is shown by discovery of endemic St Helena umbellifer having same palm-like habit as an endemic Madeiran species.
Has completed Boott’s Carices [Illustrations of the genus Carex, pt 4 (1867)],
is printing W. H. Harvey’s work [Genera of South African plants, 2d ed. (1868)],
and is revising English edition of Alphonse de Candolle’s Laws of botanical nomenclature [trans. H. A. Weddell (1868)].
Arrangements at Kew. Gardener [John Smith] is very ill; Oliver reigns supreme in the Herbarium.
Has read CD’s queries in the Field regarding the markings of dun-coloured horses. JS has for some years been working on and observing the occurrence of ass-like striped markings in horses and wonders whether CD received any response to his queries.
Sends references to books by Charles Lebrun.
Sends cheque for Down charities.
Has adopted CD’s plan of giving every author’s name in index [of Variation], but it causes delay.
Extract from a sermon.