Is much vexed about Drosera.
Land-level changes and volcanic activity.
Showing 21–40 of 49 items
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.
Is much vexed about Drosera.
Land-level changes and volcanic activity.
Apologises that the house is full this weekend, but next weekend would be good.
Thanks Hooker and Darwin for the money to emigrate to India to work.
Hopes to get another species of Desmodium from Mr Rollisson.
Lists plants in which he is interested, including Neptunia and Mimosa species.
Do any strictly tropical plants have glaucous leaves?
Asks for observations on irritable plants.
Discusses experiments and observations on pitchers [of Nepenthes]. Suggests procedures for JDH to follow.
Any plant of any family with a terminal or with any lateral leaflets greatly reduced would be interesting to CD for studying spontaneous movements.
Has not received Eucalyptus or Acacia plants from Rollisson.
Suggests experiment and observations to carry out on pitcher [of Nepenthes].
Is coming to stay in London and wants to arrange a visit to Kew to talk with JDH, see the Eucalypti, and observe Mimosa albida.
Suggests experiments to try [with Nepenthes]. Asks JDH to test whether cabbage seeds and peas exposed to the ferment germinate.
Thanks JDH for his "quite admirable" address [Rep. BAAS 44 (1874) pt 2: 102–16]. Suggests revisions.
CD thinks he is "now on right track about Utricularia" after wasting several weeks "in fruitless trials and observations".
Mrs Barber’s paper is very curious and ought to be published.
Spoke too harshly about CD’s involvement in nomenclatural reform.
JDH used to think CD "too prone to theoretical considerations about species", hence was pleased CD took up a difficult group like barnacles. CD’s theories have progressed but JDH not converted. Sikkim has not cleared up his doubts about CD’s doctrines.
Argument with Falconer.
Returns Asa Gray’s letter. Disappointed with Gray. Comments on America. British–American relations.
Sends Asa Gray letter: "nearly as mad as ever in our English eyes".
Bates’s paper is admirable. The act of segregation of varieties into species was never so plainly brought forth.
CD is a little sorry that his present work is leading him to believe rather more in the direct action of physical conditions. Regrets it because it lessens the glory of natural selection and is so confoundedly doubtful.
JDH laid too much stress on importance of crossing with respect to origin of species; but certainly it is important in keeping forms stable.
If only Owen could be excluded from Council of Royal Society Falconer would be good to put in. CD must come down to London to see what he can do.
Falconer’s article in Journal of the Geological Society [18 (1862): 348–69] shows him coming round on permanence of species, but he does not like natural selection.
Sends Lythrum salicaria diagram.
J. H. Balfour gives Scott excellent character reference, but says he is unfit either to superintend or be subordinate.
Herbert Spencer’s review of J. M. Schleiden is interesting [see 4457].
CD’s photograph looks like J. R. Herbert’s Moses in the fresco in the House of Lords.
JDH is delighted about oxlip, but hybridity does not explain some large patches that are uniform and do not vary towards either cowslip or primrose.
Encloses letter from W. H. Harvey discussing Myosotis sylvatica and the common dandelion.
Recounts row at the Royal Society over exclusion of mention of Origin from Sabine’s address awarding Copley Medal to CD.
Encloses two letters to JDH from James Hector in New Zealand.
Forwards H. T. Stainton letter for reply.
Finds many Cucurbita have tendrils with sticking ends.
The "potentiality of so many organs in plants to play so many parts is one of the most wonderful of your discoveries . . . one day it will itself play a prodigious part in the interpretation of both morphological and physiological facts".
Is disgusted with Sabine’s address [see 4708] because of its mutilation of what JDH wrote.
THH’s slashing leader in Reader ["Science and ""Church policy"" ", 4 (1864): 821] – as usual he destroys all in his path.
Encloses letter from G. H. K. Thwaites with a message for CD [see encl].
Lyell wants to see JDH’s last letter [the part on glacial periods]. Lyell full of concern about astronomical causes of heat and cold on the globe.
Encloses letter from John Scott.
More on Naudin’s hybrid; the wonder lessened slightly.
JDH’s view that insular plants [distantly] related to those of continents are common came to him only after the lecture was in print; has not yet thought it out fully.
Moroccan flora may throw some light on Madeira flora.
Cannot come to Down; John Smith is unwell.
Will go to Paris again at end of month.
Wallace and F. J. H. von Mueller of Victoria are most likely candidates for Royal Society Gold Medal for biology.
Encloses letter from Henry Barkly.