Hyaena remains show how recently Sicily was joined to Africa.
Reports on the Oxford meeting of BAAS.
Showing 1–20 of 41 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.
Hyaena remains show how recently Sicily was joined to Africa.
Reports on the Oxford meeting of BAAS.
Eldest daughter [Henrietta] very ill.
CD enjoys Owen’s having had "a good setting down".
Offers CD a live Proteus anguinus from Adelsberg cave. In his hands it will have a fair chance of developing into "some type of Columbidae (say a pouter or tumbler)".
The Origin is universally praised in Italy and Germany, even by those who disagree with it.
Thanks HF for offer of valuable specimen, but CD has no aquarium. Suggests the Zoological Society would be the best place for it.
Will keep HF’s note among a very few precious letters.
Wanted to talk with CD about the astonishing new Pliocene fossil discoveries in North America reported by Leidy. One horse fossil’s dentition, if it could be believed, would be of great interest to CD’s views.
Will try to call tomorrow. What HF tells him about horses makes him eager to come.
Encloses MS ["On the American fossil elephant", Nat. Hist. Rev. (1863): 43–114]. Shows persistence of specific characters through glacial period.
Eocene monkeys mistakenly described as pigs.
Extreme interest in MS of HF’s paper on the American fossil elephant [Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 3 (1863): 43–114].
Pleased HF does not believe in immutable species. Significance of proboscidean group verging towards extinction. Comments on natural selection preserving type despite variability. Natural selection solves problem of how every part of each creature has become adapted.
Inquires whether previous letter was received by CD.
Although their views differ, HF is glad they can discuss those differences without offending.
Explains that he returned the MS - part of a paper on fossil and living species of elephant (Falconer 1863) - to Falconer’s house in Park Crescent the previous Thursday.
Sends paper on affinities of Plagiaulax ["On Plagiaulax from the Purbeck beds", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 18 (1862): 348–69].
Comments on HF’s paper on Plagiaulax from the Purbeck beds. Paper "dreadfully severe" on Owen.
"I am worse than ever in bearing any excitement."
Glad HF attacked Australian Mastodon. Never did believe in him.
Mentions Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63].
Has HF met with any cases of what gardeners call "sports" and what CD will call "bud-variations"?
Describes an astounding "sort of mis-begotten-bird-creature", the Archaeopteryx, a grand Darwinian case.
His elephant paper is out in Natural History Review [(1863): 43–114].
His admiration for HF’s paper on American fossil elephant.
Notes "temporary irruption of S. American forms into N. America".
Rejoices that HF has "smashed" case of Mastodon on Timor.
Shares HF’s anger at Owen.
He is eager to hear about fossil bird [Archaeopteryx].
Comments on criticisms of species theory by [Johann Andreas?] Wagner.
Describes research on fertilisation of Melastomataceae.
Comments on his elephant paper
and CD’s observations on dimorphism in Melastomataceae.
Answers CD’s query on the free digits of Archaeopteryx.
Jaw with teeth found associated with Archaeopteryx fossil. Waterhouse pronounces it a fish’s jaw.
If jaw belongs to Archaeopteryx, it will show great peculiarity. A German author has advanced the case as argument for Origin.