Text Online
From:
Wedgwood?, S. E.
To:
Darwin, H. E.
Date:
19 January 1867
Source of text:
DAR 219.8: 5
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Darwin Family Letters
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Two queries on teeth: 1. Is there evidence of inherited peculiarities in milk teeth?
2. Are male incisors longer than female?
Jessie [Wedgwood] says driving in sun made one of her eyes water.
Thanks CD for his kindness and hopes one day to return it.
Finds more and more observations fall in with CD’s theory but still finds it difficult to account for the sudden leaps in the fossil record and to explain why some organisms first appear as such high forms.
Sorry he cannot remember where S. Filippe [San Felipe?] is.
Doubts that bones of ox, sheep, and horse could have been deposited in guano [on coast of Chile], but they would be worth examination.
[Tipped in copy of Origin (1866) with CHM’s bookplate.]
On Haeckel’s Generelle Morphologie; the logical argument for natural selection is still incomplete. THH jumps over the hole by an act of faith.
Expresses his support for new books being sold with the pages cut.
Describes his experiments in fertilising Oncidium flexuosum and comparison with Notylia.
Has been examining Catasetum.
Encloses seeds of two species of Gesneria and describes hairs in the seed capsule. Hairs in other plants seem to have a different function.
Starting tomorrow for a botanical excursion on the Continent.
William Clowes [printer for J. Murray] estimates that Variation will come to a first volume of 648 pages and a second volume of 624 pages – which is too much for volumes the same size as Origin. Murray proposes a larger size.
Sorry about enormous size of Variation MS, but cannot shorten it now. If JM is afraid to publish, CD will consider agreement cancelled. Suggests he ask someone with judgment to read the MS. Has written concluding chapter on man. Whether it will be included depends on size of volume.
Returns some of WBT’s skulls.
His MS is with printer, but book [Variation] will probably not be out until November.
Gives up plan to have Haeckel’s Generelle morphologie translated.
His big book [Variation] has gone to printer. Thinks of adding a chapter on man.
Will order Duke of Argyll’s book [Reign of law (1867)].
"Nature never made species mutually sterile [by selection]; nor will man.–"
Comments on EH’s "great work" [Generelle Morphologie].
An English translation "hopeless".
Asks about EH’s expedition.
MS of Variation sent to printers.
Fritz Müller working on plants.
CD annoyed at large size of Variation. Suggests printing detailed parts in small type. JM can, of course, decline to publish altogether.