Sends ARW advance copy of vol. 1 [of Descent] for his review in Academy. Vol. 2 is delayed by index. "Do not swear at me more than you can help."
Showing 21–40 of 366 items
Sends ARW advance copy of vol. 1 [of Descent] for his review in Academy. Vol. 2 is delayed by index. "Do not swear at me more than you can help."
Finished the last proofs of Descent a few days ago. "I shall be well abused."
St George Mivart’s Genesis [of species]: very good, unfortunately theological. Will tell heavily against natural selection but not against evolution, and this is "infinitely more important".
Invites AG to stay at Down. Winwood Reade and, he hopes, Hooker and Robert Swinhoe will be there.
Is obliged for StGJM’s book [On the genesis of species (1871)].
Would not have sent him vol. 1 [of Descent] if he had known that StGJM’s book was already published.
Sends enclosure copied from letter of F. C. Donders [7207?] dealing with orbicular muscle. Asks about secretion of tears resulting from spasmodic action of orbicular muscle.
Comments on StGJM’s book [Genesis of species (1871)]. Has no personal objection to a word of it, but regrets their views differ so much.
Acknowledges StGJM’s kind letter. [See 7451.]
Offers to alter the "dogmatic assertion" referred to on page 102 [of StGJM’s On the genesis of species] but in 5th ed. of Origin and in Variation CD finds only qualified expressions.
CD’s health has been poor.
Appreciates JBI’s letter and his expression of friendship.
In the opinion of a Q.C., Horsman has no case.
Seeks information and observations on the contraction of the orbicular muscles as a consequence of skin irritation.
CD apologises for having thought that StGJM’s religious feelings had led him to feel personal animosity towards him. [See 7454.]
He remembers having thought and written that belief in evolution is infinitely more important for science than belief in Natural Selection. For his own part he would have felt little interest in evolution apart from the explanation "in a general manner" of how each organism is so adapted to its conditions.
Obliged for specimens [of Paritium?].
Discusses difference between sport and parent tree.
Accepts the proposed corrections of his spelling except for "chloèn". [WSD was preparing the index for Descent, vol. 2.]
Thanks RM for information on case of hexadactyly [see RM’s paper, "Hexadactylism", Land and Water, 11 March 1871, p. 179.
He has found passage on false belief, Variation 2: 414, and does not think the whole with context is dogmatic. [Encloses copy of the passage.]
Responds to ARW’s comments on CD’s argument about protection in Descent.
Comments on St G. Mivart’s criticism [Genesis of species (1871)]. "The pendulum will now swing against us."
Thanks JVC for his corrections. Will send other errata. Hopes to send remainder of vol. 2 [of Descent] in a fortnight.
Returns pamphlets.
B. T. Lowne’s observation [Mon. Microsc. J. 4 (1870): 326–30] that boiling does not kill certain moulds is curious, but then how account for absence of all living things in Pasteur’s experiment?
Always delighted to see a word in favour of Pangenesis.
Thiselton-Dyer’s paper ["On spontaneous generation and evolution", Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 10 (1870): 333–54] is Spencerian.
The chemical conditions for first production of life are said to exist at present, but in some warm little pond today such matter would be absorbed or devoured, which would not have been the case before living creatures were formed.
Sends questions on expressions of Laura Bridgman.
Has finished Descent. Believes that parts, like that on moral sense, will aggravate AG.
Working on an essay on expression.
Will send copy of Descent.
Comments on JC-B’s MS on expression among insane. Asks about weeping in insane men. Do idiots laugh when pleased?
Thanks for photographs of insane. Asks for additional photographs.
Comments on Henry Maudsley [Body and mind (1870)].
Pointed ears in the insane.
Hopes German edition [of Descent] has not yet been printed because he has fallen into a most serious blunder [about sexual selection never acting on the young] on pp. 297–9 of vol. 1.