Has heard from Julius von Haast that some of his letters were lost before leaving New Zealand. Haast’s enclosure for CD has been forwarded.
Haast and James Hector have both sent accounts of their travels in New Zealand.
Showing 41–60 of 73 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.
Has heard from Julius von Haast that some of his letters were lost before leaving New Zealand. Haast’s enclosure for CD has been forwarded.
Haast and James Hector have both sent accounts of their travels in New Zealand.
Herbert Spencer’s work disappointing – "all words & generalities".
CD describes first observation of gyratory motion of tendrils: explains its adaptive function is to find objects to hold on to.
JDH and Oliver impressed with CD’s observations on gyratory motion of plants.
CD pleased with Bentham’s Linnean Society address on the reception of Darwinism [J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. 7 (1863): xi–xxix].
JDH’s social "dogma": "Brains x Beauty = Breeding + wealth".
[Dated 9 June by JDH.]
Encourages CD to continue observations on tendrils.
Sends "tendrilliferous" plants.
Plans visit to Down.
Naudin’s paper on tendrils [Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.) 4th ser. 9 (1863): 180–203].
T. V. Wollaston snubs Bates’s work.
Describes experiments on rotation of tendrils and shoots.
Includes comments about George Bentham’s anniversary address to the Linnean Society with particular notice of the favourable attention to Darwin, except for Natural Selection, and to AG’s essay in the Atlantic Monthly.
He defends [W. B.] Carpenter and [Jeffries] Wyman against [Richard] Owen.
Gossip about scientific honours and other matters.
Requests tendril-bearing plants.
Differences between tendrils derived from leaves and those derived from branches.
CD on Asa Gray’s attitude on the Civil War.
Asa Gray writes as if Civil War were a holy war.
J. E. Renan on Jesus [Vie de Jésus (1863)].
Literature on tendrils of Cucurbita is contradictory.
Tendril plants received.
Has just completed large crossing experiment with Lythrum.
Doubts Decaisne’s report of larkspur self-fertilisation.
Enthusiastically observes climbing plants. Needs to know how novel his observations are. Finds R. J. H. Dutrochet has made similar observations, so he has wasted some time. [See Climbing plants, p. 1 n.]
CD’s illness: he is vomiting "vegetable" cells.
Dutrochet has published the best of CD’s observations on tendrils [see Climbing plants, p. 1 n.].
Lyell has found Joshua Trimmer’s Arctic shells on Moel Tryfan.
JDH working on the New Zealand flora.
Jules Planchon excited about CD’s Linum experiments.
T. F. Jamieson’s paper on glaciers gives great pleasure.
Suggests CD consult George Busk about his stomach.
Admits, at last, that New Zealand must have been connected to some continent, but not Australia.
Climbing plants: asks for more plants.
Pleased CD accepts continental extension for New Zealand, whose flora has many genera like Rubus with great diversity and connecting intermediates. Suggests geological uplifting creates more space, hence opportunities for preservation of intermediates. Sees clash with CD on causes of extreme diversity of form in a group.
JDH’s attitude toward democratisation of science.
Grieves over the death of his second daughter [Maria Elizabeth].
Sorrow at loss of his daughter.