Showing 81–98 of 98 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.
Would like precise details about pouting of English children to add to his information about children of savages.
Asks WED to observe a suppressed yawn.
Asks whether scratching a tickling point makes tears come to his eyes.
Asks WED’s help in acquiring expression photographs and engravings.
Wishes to send Langstaff a copy of his book [Expression], in gratitude for his valuable notes.
HE’s facts about the Mexican ant [Myrmecocystus mexicanus] are "most wonderful & interesting".
Encloses R. McLachlan’s certificate of nomination for Royal Society. Hopes CD will sign it, as McLachlan is the most philosophic member of the Entomological Society in years.
A specimen of Machairodus offered for sale by F. J. Muñiz.
Discusses possible publication in England of paper by Muñiz describing the skeleton.
Sends pamphlet on scarlatina in the Pampas.
Arrangements for publishing [South America].
B. J. Sulivan has just arrived with fossil bones from Patagonia. Wants to arrange meeting.
Honoured by offer of medal from Chester Natural History Society, but if he is expected to attend in person to receive it he regrets he must decline. Asks TMH to decide for him.
CD is sorry for the trouble TMH has had. Fully approves of the rule [that the medal be awarded to a local worker?]. The knowledge that the Chester Natural History Society wished to honour him is the real gratification, which he will never forget.
High praise for Island life; ARW’s "best book". Encloses notes of comments and criticism. Hooker pleased by dedication.
GCW has correctly expressed CD’s views when he says he intentionally left the question of the origin of life uncanvassed as being altogether ultra vires in the present state of our knowledge. Thinks he may somewhere have said that principle of continuity renders it possible that the principle of life will be shown to be a part of, or consequence of, some general law.
Sends a preliminary reply to CD’s query [5890]. Ten males to one female among captured micro-Lepidoptera. Six females to four or five males in those he has bred. HTS is aware this is diametrically opposed to information from [Alexander] Wallace and Bates, but the true proportion of sexes can only be ascertained by breeding.
Protective coloration in butterflies.
[Alexander] Wallace’s suggestion that collecting larger larvae of females accounts for error in counting proportion of sexes.
On butterfly scales: there are many secondary characters which baffle conjecture.
Was forced to make additions to Origin as short as possible.
Encloses two questions he hopes MF can answer: the mechanism of transmission by nerves; and the mechanism by which contemplating part of our body, we become conscious of its existence
Encloses a testimonial for AG [in support of his application for a promotion at British Museum].
Does he agree with Carl Gegenbaur’s paper on the limbs of fish [Jenaische Z. Naturwiss. 5 (1870): 397–447]?
Asks what caused G. R. Gray’s sudden death.
Replies to CD on proportion of sexes in butterflies, coloration of moths, and courtship. Encloses copies of letters on these subjects between HTS, Henry Doubleday, and John Hellins.