Previous letter [missing] on Edinburgh position was ill-tempered. Friends assure him that he ought to be thankful for opportunity to try for professorship.
Reports meeting with Humboldt in Paris.
Showing 101–120 of 167 items
Previous letter [missing] on Edinburgh position was ill-tempered. Friends assure him that he ought to be thankful for opportunity to try for professorship.
Reports meeting with Humboldt in Paris.
Would like to borrow the pamphlet on variation [Frédéric Gérard, "De l’espèce dans les corps organisés" (1844), extract from Dictionnaire universel d’histoire naturelle, ed. C. D. d’Orbigny].
Glad to hear Humboldt’s views on migration. CD believes we cannot "put any limit to the possible and even probable migration of plants".
Wants good book on plant morphology.
JDH recommends Augustin de Saint-Hilaire’s Leçons de botanique [1841]. Relates opinions of European botanists on migration and plant distribution.
Has received pamphlet from JDH [John Murray, Strictures on morphology (1845)].
Hopes JDH will enjoy Edinburgh.
Has just finished Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire on animal monsters [Anomalies de l’organisation chez l’homme et les animaux (1832–7)], "and a nasty curious subject it is".
Thanks for information about books.
Murray is publishing CD’s Journal of researches. Would be grateful for a sentence on Galapagos plants.
A Tasmanian Cyttaria is same species as CD’s Fuegian fungus. Did the species originate on the beeches of Fuegia or of Tasmania?
JDH gives interpretation of Vestiges.
John McCulloch, J. F. Schouw, and Lamarck on the species question.
Returns specimens and drawings of Confervae with many thanks. Would appreciate any corrections for second edition of Journal of researches.
First part of "Galapagos flora" ["Plants of the Galapagos Archipelago", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 20 (1851): 163–233] finished but not printed.
Details of distribution of Galapagos flora. Peculiarity of island floras.
Leaves for Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Returns notes on Confervae.
Has had information from Ehrenberg on organic forms in Atlantic dust.
Thanks for sketch of Galapagos flora.
JDH’s books have arrived safely.
Is sending him corrected MS of first part of Journal of researches [2d ed.].
Lyells have just visited.
Busy correcting proofs. Thanks for JDH’s remarks; asks him to send any other corrections soon; goes to press with second part of Journal of researches in less than a week.
Urges collections of all kinds on any isolated islands.
Answers CD’s questions relating to the flora of the Galapagos. [See 889.]
The translation of Humboldt’s Kosmos [Cosmos (1846–58)] is delayed.
Gives instances of peculiar genera with several good species in very small islands. Scarcity of insects on islands.
JDH cannot prove that there is much hybridising, but does not see why there should not be. "Bother variation, development & all such subjects, it is reasoning in a circle I believe after all."
Raises some points for revision of CD’s Journal of researches.
Southern island floras. "The more I ponder upon Insular Floras the less inclined I am to admit the mutation of species to any very great amount."
Thanks for facts on solitary islands having several species of peculiar genera; "it knocks on the head some analogies of mine".
Has long been trying to discover in how many flowers crossing is probable, but finds it difficult to show "even a vague probability of this".
Will JDH proof-read Galapagos chapter of Journal of researches?
Gives information on his Galapagos collection; explains why it differs from others.
Sorry to hear about condition of JDH’s grandfather.
Sends proofs of Galapagos chapter of Journal of researches.
Grieves to hear labels are displaced on his plants.
May he annotate [F. Gérard’s] L’espèce [(1844), extracted from Dictionnaire universel d’histoire naturelle, ed. C. D. d’Orbigny (1839–49)]?
Anxious to hear of JDH’s prospects [at Edinburgh].
Has completed his Journal of researches.
JDH’s grandfather’s death.
Collecting testimonials for the Edinburgh chair.
Condolences on JDH’s grandfather’s death.
When his wife can move, they will go to Staffordshire.
Returns some books; would like to see copy of Kosmos [by Alexander von Humboldt]. Would be proud owner of JDH’s work [Flora Antarctica (1844–7)].