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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.
Testimonial in behalf of JEG’s application for the position of keeper of the zoological department of the British Museum from which John George Children was about to resign.
Sends elephant tooth from Africa. Suggests it may be interesting in light of his [mistaken] memory of Cuvier’s opinion about tusk brought from Peru by Humboldt.
Requests that Charles Lyell be permitted to borrow the coral reef specimens he presented to the British Museum.
Testimonial letter for GRW for position at British Museum.
Congratulates GRW on appointment to position at British Museum.
Comments on GRW’s paper [Rep. BAAS (1843): 65–7; Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 12 (1843): 399–412]. CD says by "link" between any two groups he never understood a half-way link, merely one in a long series. Observes that one cannot have a simple species intermediate between two great families. Criticises GRW’s use of circles to represent groups, which leads to thinking that groups are of equal value.
Asks that in the event of his death, Emma should have the sketch of his species theory edited and published. Suggests possible editors, among them Lyell, Edward Forbes, and J. D. Hooker. [CD annotation on cover: "Hooker by far best man to edit my species volume Aug 1854".]
Arrangements for publishing [South America].
B. J. Sulivan has just arrived with fossil bones from Patagonia. Wants to arrange meeting.
Asks to borrow specimens of sessile cirripedes from Museum of Royal College of Surgeons.
A specimen of Machairodus offered for sale by F. J. Muñiz.
Discusses possible publication in England of paper by Muñiz describing the skeleton.
Sends pamphlet on scarlatina in the Pampas.
Is sorry that any person has misunderstood his intentions. JEG read his papers on cirripedes at the Zoological Society without intending to interfere with CD’s work; he merely wished to record his old observations, made before CD commenced his study, and thought that by so doing he was helping CD. [See "Description of a new species of Anatifa" and "On Thaliella", Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. (1848): 44.]
It had been suggested to CD that JEG intended to anticipate some of his work on the Cirripedia. CD doubted this because JEG had suggested that CD commence the work and has assisted throughout; however, CD sought assurances regarding JEG’s intentions as he wished that "what little novelty there yet remained in the subject, should be the reward of my work". CD apologises for having spoken to JEG on the subject and will communicate JEG’s assurances to those who had expressed their opinions regarding JEG’s intentions.