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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.
Murray’s must publish [Expression] tomorrow with only 4000 copies, because plates for 3000 additional copies have not yet been delivered. The trade and public will be dissatisfied. It may be advisable to get police to defend the house.
Thanks for Expression, which he received through Asa Gray.
Relates some personal experiences of unconscious sympathy.
Has read a review of Expression and finds CD’s explanation of "antithesis" [see Expression, p. 50] unsatisfactory. Proposes a theory of upward lines expressing energy and downward lines expressing the reverse.
Acknowledges presentation copy [of Expression], which is not to be found in the market.
Interested in CD’s opinion of her article ["The consciousness of dogs", Q. Rev. 133 (1872): 419–51].
Hopes she may see CD at Queen Anne St [home of E. A. Darwin].
Lydekker describes an inherited characteristic of drooping eyelids.
Asks for an autographed copy of Expression.
Is reading W. R. Greg’s Enigmas of life [1872]: "One of the most eloquent books I ever read".
Owen’s communications are doing incalculable mischief to science in the eyes of Government officials. "This ignorant, careless, unobservant government."
The Nature editors, J. N. Lockyer and Bennett, blame each other for printing Owen’s letter.
Huxley looks wretched.
FPC’s article on consciousness of dogs is best analysis of an animal’s mind CD has read.
Regrets she quotes [Edward?] Jesse.
Since writing Descent, CD has come to believe dogs have a conscience.
More stories about dog behaviour.
Thanks WM for his letter. CD does not think WM’s principle of [up-tending and down-tending] lines explains the cases of expression of emotions referred to, and, even if it did, the problem would remain as to why the lines should express what WM believes they do.
No need to apologise for not quoting AH’s paper on acceleration and retardation.
Agassiz introduced AH to ammonites and entrusted collection to him. Has followed developmental history of each species and placed them within geological formations. Found evolutionary history of species recapitulated only to a degree in individual development. Stages frequently skipped. Explains why young of later animals are like adults that preceded them. Retardation entirely idea of Edward Drinker Cope. Sends paper to explain it. Acceleration can explain degraded forms. Often like youthful stage with which series began. Often resemble old age of earlier series. Regularity of these series incompatible with natural selection. How can selection account for degraded final stages or for predictability of development? Franz Hilgendorf’s Paludinae from Steinheim lake show same parallelism in development. May be possible to reconcile this with selection. But Trochiformis begins to show degradation in beds where it is most numerous and has largest individuals, i.e., where selection seems to be favouring it. Will work on Steinheim shells this winter.
Darwin and his followers have connected France and England like the projected tunnel and have demonstrated that the French and English are more free than Germany from scholasticism.