Arrangements to dine at JDH’s club.
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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.
Arrangements to dine at JDH’s club.
Did not think anyone would notice case of Lathyrus.
Recalls reading correspondent’s paper on great fir woods of Hampshire.
Thanks for photograph.
Henrietta’s illness.
CD’s resort to [E. W. Lane’s] water-cure.
Other family news.
Etty [Henrietta Darwin] much improved.
Reference to his "hobby of striped asses".
Sceptical of JBI’s "curious stories" on spirit-tapping: "believe nothing one hears & only half of what one sees".
Going to sea-side for Etty’s health.
Asks JBI further questions about a striped donkey he had reported to CD.
Etty has had a relapse. "What the end will be, we know not."
Thanks for interesting letter which confirms belief that a good observer is a good theorist.
He is glad to hear that HWB, with his wide knowledge of natural history, has anticipated CD in many respects and agrees with the Origin.
Has been thoroughly attacked, especially by entomologists – J. O. Westwood, T. V. Wollaston, and Andrew Murray.
Glad HWB is writing on "equatorial refrigeration"; CD expresses his belief in north to south migration during glacial period.
News of Etty’s health and of neighbours.
Pleased that JBI likes Origin.
CD never expected to convert people in less than 20 years, though now convinced he is "in the main right". Bishop of Oxford’s review made "splendid fun" of him.
Comments on the great extent of variations and on the acknowledgment of the new idea of greater female variety.
Expresses belief that the glacial period did affect the tropics, though HWB’s arguments have confounded him.
Poses a series of questions concerning sexual selection.
CD urges HWB to write on his travels;
asks for facts on domestic variations;
is pleased by HWB’s acceptance of the theory of sexual selection.
He still believes in migration from north to south during glacial age.
Hopes Bates will publish a paper on mimicry.
Describes results of his experiments with hollyhocks. Some varieties breed true even though growing near others. This suggests that their pollen is "pre-potent" over that of other varieties, which is not the case with most plants. Asks some questions on which he would be glad to have correspondent work. [See also 3170.]
Recommends publisher for HWB; admires J. van Voorst but suggests Murray.
In reply to HWB’s letter [missing], comments on neuters and mimicry.
Returns a letter from a Mr Walsh – "a clear-headed man on my side". What he says about sea trout in lochs would make a good case for CD if borne out by professional ichthyologists.
Declines invitation to visit DN’s orchid collection. Thanks for orchids and list [of available plants]. Requests a few more spikes of Bolbophyllum, particularly of species with irritable labellum.
Thanks HWB for references.
Praises his paper ["Contributions to an insect fauna of the Amazon valley", read before Linnean Society, 21 Nov 1861, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 23 (1862) : 495–566] which solves "one of the most perplexing problems which could be given to solve".
Discusses the difficulties of writing and expresses disappointment at Wallace’s book [Travels on the Amazon (1861)].
Delighted to have Quiz [Johnny Innes’ dog].
Arrangements for receiving Quiz.
Quiz arrived safely.
CD’s three sons are in bed with bad colds.
Has been in bad health and has just read HWB’s MS in the last two days. Praises the book; assured it will be successful. Offers to write to Murray. Hooker interested in conclusions on colour.
Encloses note from Murray, hoping it will be satisfactory. Murray is ready to see as much of MS as possible. Murray is considered honest but may be cautious, since HWB’s name is unknown to the public.