The debt of plant geography to voyages may be JDH’s topic at BAAS meeting [at Swansea].
Photographs from New Zealand forwarded.
Showing 1–20 of 42 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.
The debt of plant geography to voyages may be JDH’s topic at BAAS meeting [at Swansea].
Photographs from New Zealand forwarded.
Discusses some business matters
and E. A. Darwin’s health.
Worm observations.
Discusses possible investments.
Discusses earthworms and their ability to perceive narrowest points of leaves to draw them into their burrows.
Discusses investments.
The action of worms when drawing leaves into their burrows.
Asks whether vegetable mould has an acid reaction. The contents of intestines of earthworms and castings are acid, which leads him to inquire about mould.
Reports his observations on numbers of Rhododendron leaves found buried [by earthworms].
Comments on CGS’s The natural conditions of existence [1881] and on views of Moritz Wagner on geographical distribution.
Discusses cause of variability.
Butler’s reply to EK is a renewed attack on CD. Urges EK not to answer it. His last letter contains everything necessary. Asks EK for dates of CD’s letter asking EK’s permission to publish a translation of his article [on Erasmus Darwin] and of the letter in which he told EK that Butler’s book had been advertised.
Describes variability in the stamens and pollen of Lagerstroemia, which CD spoke of in Forms of flowers.
Also reports on similar phenomena in Pontederiacea (Heteranthera reniformis).
Has received from Paul Mayer an interesting paper on metamorphosis in Palaemonetes varians, which is also being studied by J. E. V. Boas in Denmark. Shows differences between larval development in Danish forms and those found in southern Italy.
Thanks WED for sending leaves and making observations on how earthworms drag them into their burrows.
Doubts justice of fierce review against J. Geikie’s book [Prehistoric Europe (1881)] in Nature [by W. B. Dawkins, 23 (1881): 309–10], but if reindeer and hippopotamus have really been found in close contact in same bed – "it tells horribly against interglacial periods".
Sends birthday wishes.
Comments on Movement in plants.
Sends System der Ascrapeden [1880].
Describes work on Challenger Medusae.
Comments on success of CD’s theory.
Asks EH to call on Zeiss and to help arrange for microscope for Francis Darwin.
Thanks for pt 6 of [Australian orchids].
Contemptuous of Samuel Butler.
Has read that Huxley will be Inspector of Fisheries.
When CD visits in spring, he will acquaint him with legalities of Worthing house.
Orders vaseline and pomatum – the latter to put on his beard, which in dry weather feels uncomfortably harsh.
Birthday greetings.
Thinks it best not to reply further to Butler. Has read G. J. Romanes’ article with great pleasure. Romanes is right to ridicule Butler. Quotes passages about Butler from CD letters. Has received letter from F. M. Balfour urging him not to reply to Butler.
CD thanks him for his congratulations and for details of letters, which he will keep with the Butlerian documents.
FD is happy for his lecture to be republished in Kosmos.
Thanks GJR for his second letter replying to Butler [Nature 23 (1880–1): 335–6].