Showing 41–53 of 53 items
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.
Has been "cramming up learning to ornament my journal with".
Sends a list of questions on his botanical specimens. Needs answers for Journal of researches, which he expects to go to press in August.
Botanical queries for Journal of researches, which is about to go to press.
Reports his successful interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer [Thomas Spring Rice] about a grant for publishing [Zoology]. Thanks JSH for help with this; "you have been the making of me from the first".
Doctors have urged him to knock off all work and go to the country. Arranges proof-reading with JSH, while he is at Shrewsbury.
Proof-reading arrangements for Journal of researches. CD’s difficulty in writing correctly.
CD’s reasons for his reluctance to take the Secretaryship of the Geological Society.
CD’s work [on Zoology] is going smoothly. Marvels at finding himself an author [of Journal of researches]. Part so far printed has a good many errata.
Asks JSH to look over the prospectus [for Zoology]. Has one more chapter of Journal of researches to finish.
Sends rock specimen for W. H. Miller. Asks JSH to see whether there is any geology in P. B. Webb and Sabin Berthelot, Histoire naturelle des Îles Canaries [1835–50]. Finds his work on geology growing so large that it will take more than one volume and asks whether this will make publication aid more difficult.
Has accepted Secretaryship of the Geological Society.
Will not come to Cambridge because "as long as I continue well I cannot bear to leave my work for half a day".
Declines Ray Club dinner; too busy with Zoology.
Thanks JSH for presenting his work to Cambridge Philosophical Society.
Asks him to get an answer from W. H. Miller on specimen of crystallised mineral.
Relates plan for an appendix to his Journal of researches which will include facts of species of birds’ being different in different islands of the Galápagos and also of the lizards and tortoises on the islands. Asks JSH whether he can supply parallels in the plant life.
Replies to CD’s questions on plant hybridisation and laws of inheritance. Rejects predominant transmission of characters by established forms. Males show predominance, but congeniality of parents’ constitution to climate and soil more important. No correlation between hybridisation and variability, cultivation, and geographical distribution. Rejects reversion.
Describes experiments in Hippeastrum in which pollen from another species proved more fertile than plant’s own pollen.
Did not intend to say that crossing is inimical to fertility.
Urges JSH to describe Galapagos species in a paper on the flora of the islands.
Has been interested in geographical distribution and would be interested to have a paper by JSH on the general character of flora of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia.
"I keep on steadily collecting every sort of fact which may throw light on the origin & variation of species."