The third and last part of the Geology [South America] will be published in a few days. Apologises for not sending JSH the other volumes.
Has attended Southampton [BAAS] meeting.
Showing 1–20 of 21 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 third and last part of the Geology [South America] will be published in a few days. Apologises for not sending JSH the other volumes.
Has attended Southampton [BAAS] meeting.
Thanks JSH for his address [Address delivered in the Ipswich Museum on 9th March 1848]. Questions a sentence which implies that only the practical use of a scientific discovery makes it worth while. The instinct for truth justifies science without any practical results. Cites his work on cirripedes.
Criticises lecturing system in education and emphasis on classics. Has forgotten all his classical knowledge.
Asks JSH’s help in naming cirripedes, on which he is working. Believes he has made "some very curious points".
Expects a sixth child [Francis] in August.
Describes cold water cure he has been taking for two months at J. M. Gully’s establishment.
Plans to go to BAAS meeting at Birmingham if health improves.
Describes the Birmingham meeting [1849] of BAAS.
His health is poor. Continues with water-cure with considerable benefit.
Has had his portrait taken;
is anxious about scarlet fever among his children.
Thanks JSH for information and suggestions on benefit clubs,
and for a shipment of fossil cirripedes.
J. B. Innes is greatly obliged for JSH’s letter. JSH’s observation of chalk flints strikes CD as "very curious".
Sends specimens from Indian Ocean atolls.
Describes an orange tree with curious "horned" fruit; sends specimen. Asks if the horns represent "metamorphoses of some organ into the fruit orange".
CD relates that Robert Brown is anxious to have [C. M.] Leman[n] elected librarian of the Linnean Society and urges JSH to come to vote for him. CD joins in the request.
CD gives JSH Fuegian paints and spears and a Pacific dolphin hook for his museum.
Comments on JSH’s botanical work with his parishioners. Lyell will be pleased that he has done some fossil botanical work.
Describes a Geological Society meeting about Edward Charlesworth’s complaints.
Tells how W. Kemp found the seeds of Atriplex, which Lindley sent to JSH for identification.
Asks about monstrous plant mentioned by Lindley [see 690].
Has seen fields of clover near Down affected with clover dodder.
CD has written to W. Kemp to ascertain what precautions he took in sowing his seeds. "It will be rather flat if you … pronounce the Atriplex to be merely a variety". Suggests sending plants to C. C. Babington.
Babington has reared a facsimile [of W. Kemp’s Atriplex] by sowing seeds of A. angustifolia. CD has advised Kemp not to publish since anyone would say it was more probable that the seeds of his specimens were in the soil, than that the ones he found had retained vitality. CD regrets this, as he has no doubt of the antiquity of the seeds.
Sends a specimen of rusty wheat from the banks of the Plata.
Asks for bits of peat he collected
and a bit of the paint used by Fuegians to colour themselves.
He will send these to C. G. Ehrenberg for analysis.
Is at work on second edition of Journal of researches.
Hopes to finish geology of the Beagle by autumn.
Hooker gives "a wonderful account" of Galapagos plants.
CD has bought a farm in Lincolnshire. Criticises primogeniture and stamp laws on land purchase.
Announces birth of G. H. Darwin.