Showing 21–40 of 50 items
The house at Barmouth.
His poor health.
Bentham’s interesting Linnean Society Address ["On geographical biology", Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (1869): lxv–c].
CD particularly wishes to know how botanists agreed with zoologists on distribution.
Still thinks isolation more important in preserving old forms than Bentham is inclined to believe.
Recounts the trip back from St Petersburg – visits to botanic gardens and museums throughout Western Europe.
Pleased that CD admired Bentham’s address [see 6793]. JDH had read it in MS and modified some very heterodox passages about insularity. CD has hit the flaw in it.
F. A. W. Miquel is a convert.
Reflects how Bentham might have been more cautious had he read ARW's volumes.
No summary available.
Simeon Habel of New York has returned from Galapagos. CD has asked him to send any plants to JDH.
Reading Nägeli convinces him that it is all-important to learn all about polymorphic or protean genera for the "Laws of Variability".
New Zealand genera are interesting and have perplexed him for years.
Has read paper on snakes. Thinks it is not fascination but fear that makes the victim fall into snake’s power.
No summary available.
On reading F. Müller’s Facts and arguments for Darwin [1869].
Pangenesis.
Agrees with CD on fascination [of snakes].
Huxley is at Comte again.
An article in North British Review by mathematician against Hooker and Huxley and for William Thomson [P. G. Tait, "Geological time", North Br. Rev. 50 (1869): 406–39]. Feels a conviction that world will be found older than reviewer makes it.
Article on "Design" [by J. B. Mozley] in Quarterly Review [127 (1869): 134–76].
Has JDH studied Drosophyllum?
JDH & his wife have returned from Scythia via Stockholm, Wiborg [Vyborg], Helsingfors [Helsinki], the Swedish lakes, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Neuenhausen, Utrecht, Leyden, Amsterdam, Hage [Hague] & Rotterdam. He is tired of rail travel & hotels, he would prefer a tent in the jungle or a cabin at sea. JDH regrets that Gray has given up on the FL[ORA]. AM[ERICANA]. BOR[EALIS]. He describes Regel's poor organisation [of the International Botanical Congress] at St Petersburg, including the absence of any Russian botanists except [Alexander Andrejewitsch von] Bunge. A good 'show' was put on & many medals awarded, there was some misreporting of the medals given in the GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. JDH does not like St Petersburg, he prefers Moscow. They stayed with the Andersons in Stockholm, met old Fries, Theodor Fries & [Johnan Erhard] Areschoug in Upsala [Uppsala] & spent a day each with Reichenbach & Booth in Hamburgh [Hamburg]. He admires the antiquities museums of Stockholm & Denmark. They saw Wendland's Palms at Utrecht & stayed with Miguel. JDH returned to a lot of work at RBG Kew, including the matter of opening the gardens in the morning, he thinks it is the right thing to do but will mean reorganisation & a lot of additional work for him as so much of the running of Kew depends on him personally. He is made of strong stuff so can handle the work but he expects [John] Smith, Curator of the Gardens, will be overwhelmed. JDH mentions the state of his personal finances & describes himself as 'living hand to mouth'. Concludes with news that Darwin is in North Wales & very unwell, Bentham & Baker are on holiday, the latter in Geneva, & [Thomas] Thomson is well.
No summary available.
Huxley has shown him the jaws of an Anoplotherium brought from the Gallegos by R. O. Cunningham.
Saw Hallett’s wheat crops at Brighton; results of his selection very striking.
Huxley is assembling his Darwiniana papers for republication.
Has written a crushing reply to Richard Congreve ["The scientific aspects of positivism", Fortn. Rev. n.s. 5 (1869): 653–70] and JDH feels "infantine" beside him.
Comments on Sabine’s being offered and accepting K.C.B.
Replies to JDH on Hallett; doubts that already improved varieties do not vary in other respects.
The North British Review article [see 6841] is worth reading "scientifically"; it made CD feel small.
Awaits JDH’s decision on affinities of Drosophyllum and Drosera.
Is curious to see proportion of males to females in recent census in India.
Did not intend to imply that Hallett said variation stopped, but that it arrives at a point where further accumulation in direction sought is so slow as to result practically in fixity of type – but not absolute fixity.
Duke of Argyll has requested JDH to superintend publication of a flora of India. JDH thinks he [Argyll] is paying him off for his kick at natural theology.
Willy [Hooker] returning from New Zealand.
A unique character in Drosophyllum.
Sees no reason for CD to contribute to Ross and Faraday memorials.
Faraday memorial is an exception.
George [Darwin] has convinced CD that North British Review article is by P. G. Tait [see 6841].
Surprised that leaves of Drosophyllum are always rolled backwards at their tips, but did not know it was unique character.
No summary available.
Reports on events at Exeter [BAAS] meeting. G. G. Stokes made a first-rate President.
Huxley "poured boiling oil" over James McCann in answer to his "conceited dogmatic sermon".
F. A. W. Miquel is coming to stay.
F. C. Donders has been to lunch – a good "Darwinian"!
JDH’s speech of resignation [as BAAS President] at Exeter was charming [Rep. BAAS (1869)]. JDH should have been an ambassador.
Has received Indian census.
Is unusually well.
Will come to Down on 25 Sept.
Thanks CD for supplementaries ["Fertilization of orchids", Collected papers 2: 138–56] which he will quote in the British flora [The student’s flora of the British Islands (1870)].
F. A. W. Miquel could not come.
Asks JDH to consult colleagues learned in physiology for answer to query: when a large piece of bark is removed from a tree, does the bark ever regrow in isolated points [separate] from the growing margin of the surrounding bark? Query bears on Pangenesis and on power of repair in plants.
No summary available.