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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.
Proportion of sexes in chaffinches.
Pugnacity of blackbirds and robins.
Harrison Weir reports up to nine eggs in starling nests.
Newspaper report of a sheep born with its owner’s brand.
Otto Staudinger’s catalogue shows prices of female Lepidoptera to be higher than those of males.
Discusses apes and their relationships to each other. Writes particularly of the gibbon, its structure and well-developed legs giving it the ability to walk without using its hands.
Discusses the human foot and its abnormalities; notes an example of syndactylism.
Gives his observations on sexual differences in coloration of terns and ostriches.
Describes a curious litter of rabbits.
Pairing of rooks, courtship of golden pheasant.
Behaviour of finch hybrids.
Seasonal coloration of birds; bright plumage results from sexual selection.
Langstaff has seen no trace of blushing on the body.
Thanks MW for his essay [Die Darwin’sche Theorie und das Migrationsgesetz der Organismen (1868)]. Is highly gratified that MW agrees with him to a considerable extent.
Almost wishes that he could believe in the importance of isolation to the same extent as MW.
Action of facial muscles at onset of crying.
Langstaff has never seen the platysma act, and he believes it to be rudimentary in humans.
Sends expanded answers [to Queries about expression], in view of CD’s statement that his first list had not been sufficiently explanatory. Is pleased that some answers confirmed CD’s views [see Expression, passim].
Asks for precise reference in Charles Bell to subject of CD’s question. Agrees to assist CD’s investigation. Asks about Bell’s observations on eyes engorged with blood. Has noticed that eyes of children with excessive photophobia tend to be pale when forced open.
Has circulated CD’s Queries about expression and gives some of his observations of the natives.
Gives Charles Bell’s explanation of the contraction of the orbicularis during screaming and seeks confirmation of his view because the action is "the key-stone of a whole class of expressions". Curious to learn WB’s conclusion in regard to the relation between contraction of the orbicularis and secretion of tears. Notes that voluntary contraction of the orbicularis causes no tears.
On the changes in plumage of scarlet ibis at the zoo in breeding season.
Finds important differences between English and German versions of Variation on graft-hybrids.
Experiments and observations on submerged flowers.
Asks for [John?] Smith’s exact count of seeds of the crossed and self-fertilised Victoria water-lily. Similar question on Euryale seed and seedlings.
JDH’s coming [BAAS] Presidential Address.
Thanks for Variation.
CD must be happy about the tendency toward acceptance of his views, though it is regrettable that France is backward in this regard.
His own work goes slowly, but he still hopes his work on artificially produced monstrosities will help to answer the question of the origin of species.
Discusses how they might enquire about any provisions in the laws of partnership concerning lunacy.
MTM did not write Gardeners’ Chronicle review of Variation [(1868): 184].
Encloses letters supporting a project [Botanical Congress?] to promote horticulture, and hopes CD will reconsider giving his support.
George Rolleston’s son was born with a scar on his knee exactly where GR cut himself with a knife years before his marriage. Gives several other examples of inherited mutilation.