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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.
Comments on the travels of JDH.
Genera plantarum a most worthy undertaking.
Criticisms of the Darwin–Hooker understanding of HCW’s views of convergence.
Returns Asa Gray’s letter. Disappointed with Gray. Comments on America. British–American relations.
Sends Asa Gray letter: "nearly as mad as ever in our English eyes".
Bates’s paper is admirable. The act of segregation of varieties into species was never so plainly brought forth.
CD is a little sorry that his present work is leading him to believe rather more in the direct action of physical conditions. Regrets it because it lessens the glory of natural selection and is so confoundedly doubtful.
JDH laid too much stress on importance of crossing with respect to origin of species; but certainly it is important in keeping forms stable.
If only Owen could be excluded from Council of Royal Society Falconer would be good to put in. CD must come down to London to see what he can do.
Falconer’s article in Journal of the Geological Society [18 (1862): 348–69] shows him coming round on permanence of species, but he does not like natural selection.
Sends Lythrum salicaria diagram.
Includes comments about George Bentham’s anniversary address to the Linnean Society with particular notice of the favourable attention to Darwin, except for Natural Selection, and to AG’s essay in the Atlantic Monthly.
He defends [W. B.] Carpenter and [Jeffries] Wyman against [Richard] Owen.
Gossip about scientific honours and other matters.
J. H. Balfour gives Scott excellent character reference, but says he is unfit either to superintend or be subordinate.
Herbert Spencer’s review of J. M. Schleiden is interesting [see 4457].
CD’s photograph looks like J. R. Herbert’s Moses in the fresco in the House of Lords.
JDH is delighted about oxlip, but hybridity does not explain some large patches that are uniform and do not vary towards either cowslip or primrose.
Encloses letter from W. H. Harvey discussing Myosotis sylvatica and the common dandelion.
Recounts row at the Royal Society over exclusion of mention of Origin from Sabine’s address awarding Copley Medal to CD.
Encloses two letters to JDH from James Hector in New Zealand.
Forwards H. T. Stainton letter for reply.
Finds many Cucurbita have tendrils with sticking ends.
The "potentiality of so many organs in plants to play so many parts is one of the most wonderful of your discoveries . . . one day it will itself play a prodigious part in the interpretation of both morphological and physiological facts".
Is disgusted with Sabine’s address [see 4708] because of its mutilation of what JDH wrote.
THH’s slashing leader in Reader ["Science and ""Church policy"" ", 4 (1864): 821] – as usual he destroys all in his path.
Encloses letter from G. H. K. Thwaites with a message for CD [see encl].
Emcloses copies of correspondence concerning his dispute with John Lubbock.
Lyell wants to see JDH’s last letter [the part on glacial periods]. Lyell full of concern about astronomical causes of heat and cold on the globe.
Encloses letter from John Scott.
More on Naudin’s hybrid; the wonder lessened slightly.
JDH’s view that insular plants [distantly] related to those of continents are common came to him only after the lecture was in print; has not yet thought it out fully.
Moroccan flora may throw some light on Madeira flora.
Cannot come to Down; John Smith is unwell.
Will go to Paris again at end of month.
Wallace and F. J. H. von Mueller of Victoria are most likely candidates for Royal Society Gold Medal for biology.
Encloses letter from Henry Barkly.
HCW’s criticisms of CD’s theory.
Amazed that Hugo von Mohl and E. M. Fries are not foreign members of Royal Society; Thomson going over the whole matter.
Candolle’s contribution to botany.
Lubbock shocked about Wollaston.
CD’s answer to Greg was capital.
Comments on Variation.
Charles Murchison’s work on Falconer’s Memoirs [Palaeontological memoirs and notes of the late Hugh Falconer (1868)] and JDH on Falconer.
Pleased to come on 17th.
Is arranging the Aucuba experiment.
Sends some letters for CD’s perusal.
Asks what CD thinks of Huxley’s address [Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 25 (1869): xxviii–liii].
Would be glad to have Drosophyllum plants.