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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.
Sends his book [Bhawani (1872)], which is a poem in praise of evolutionary theory and showing its roots in ancient India.
Describes a patient’s ears with peculiar tufts of hair in places where he has never seen them before. Encloses sketch.
Describes shaken index finger in Japan and blushing among Chinese servants.
JP’s note [8739] suggests reversion, but that is an easy trap. Will look to the ears of "our brethren at the Zool. Gardens".
The evidence of tameness of Alpine butterflies [see 8672] seems good and the fact is surprising to CD for they can hardly have acquired this in their short life-time.
The question whether butterflies are attracted to bright colours independently of the supposed presence of nectar is still unanswered.
CD has great difficulty in believing that any temporary condition of parents can affect the offspring.
Pangenesis is much reviled, but CD must still look at generation from this point of view, which makes him averse to believing that an emotion has any effect on the offspring.
Hopes Drosophyllum was all right.
Opinion of Council of Royal Society [on Presidency] is twelve for JDH, five for Duke of Devonshire, and G. B. Airy for William Spottiswoode.
On EH’s Die Kalkschwämme [1872].
Sends HA’s paper ["On leaf arrangement"] with a supporting note [from CD] to Royal Society.
Has sent phyllotaxy paper to G. G. Stokes with the letter from CD to show credentials.
Will not have time to read new Sachs edition CD offered.
Thanks for CD’s sponsorship of paper [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1873): 176–9].
On a correction JVC thinks should be made in Variation on vertebrae of ducks.
Discusses JDB’s views on the spread of human-like creatures across the world, and the development of language.
Concerned about GHD’s health. Sends a prescription for a cough mixture.
Acknowledges correction in text of Variation . "You are a most conscientious editor & are as careful as I am apt to be careless."
Popular Edition [6th] of Origin has sold out 3000 copies. Asks CD whether he has found any errors that should be corrected.
The Naples Zoological Station and its library are growing fast. His life is a constant battle with the municipality, but has managed to make a little progress on vertebrate ancestry and morphology. His views get further away from what is generally accepted.
A new [German] edition of Expression is to be done. Has CD anything to add or alter?
JVC cites an article on cessation of breathing during mental concentration that supports Gratiolet as quoted in Expression, p. 179.
Thanks for Chapman 1873 (Chapman, John. 1873. Neuralgia and kindred diseases of the nervous system).
Has heard from Ashwin Conway Newman of Guy’s Hospital of a case of a child without any prepuce whose father was a renegade, uncircumcised Jew, but whose ancestors had all been Jews. Newman thinks this a good case of inheritance with reversion. JP’s letter [missing] now shows how rash such a conclusion would be.
Sends a paper on evolution by his friend J. D. MacDonald ["Distribution of Invertebrata", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1872–3): 218–23] for CD’s perusal before dispatching it to the Royal Society.
Has no corrections for second German edition [of Expression]. Plans to bring out an improved edition in a year or two.
Thanks for reference JVC sent.