Showing 1–20 of 100 items
Pleasure in ARW’s approbation of the Origin. Other supporters among scientists. ARW’s generosity.
Attacks by Owen, Sedgwick, and others.
Anticipation of natural selection by Matthew in 1830.
Gives an extract from L. von Buch on the flora of the Canaries [Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarische Inseln (1825)].
Natural selection does not explain why animals of different groups in the same place often resemble each other.
No summary available.
Cannot accept invitation at present.
Is sending a wild honeycomb from Timor.
Acknowledges Orchids with its disclosures of "wonderful adaptations".
Warns that CD aids critics by overstating the difficulties.
Did Owen write the article in the Quarterly Review? [Review of Origin by Samuel Wilberforce, Q. Rev. 108 (1860): 225–64].
Quarterly Review piece written by Bishop Wilberforce with aid of Owen.
Other reviews mentioned.
Health.
Muscular fibres of whale no larger than those of bee – evidence of a community of origin.
Problem of the abortive wings of ostrich in relation to conditions of their survival.
Family illnesses.
On disposition of wild honeycomb gift.
Discounts the difficulty presented by ostrich wings.
Would be pleased to have third edition of Origin.
Is unwell and dreads the winter.
Acknowledges 3d edition of Origin.
Praise of Herbert Spencer’s First Principles [1862].
Health.
Is sending information about Timor fossils to be forwarded to Hugh Falconer.
Now recalls a Melastoma visited by some small Cetoniadae and bees (Xylocopa) in Malay Archipelago.
Encloses flowers of Melastoma from Singapore.
Acclimatisation of plants.
Striped horses in London.
Bees’ cells; has been promised information from the East.
Baffling problems with Melastoma. Appreciates ARW’s help with it and the "gorze case".
Has read report of ARW’s paper [to Newcastle BAAS meeting, "On the geographical distribution of animal life"] in the Reader [2 (1863): 352–3].
Asa Gray’s high opinion of ARW as a reviewer [reference to S. Haughton’s paper on bees’ cells, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3d ser. 11 (1863): 415–29, reviewed by ARW in "Remarks on the Rev. S. Haughton’s paper", Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3d ser. 12 (1863): 303–9].
Remarks on ARW’s review of Samuel Haughton’s paper on bees’ cells
and Origin.
Agassiz’s strength as geologist and weakness in natural history theory.
Work problems.
His butterfly collection.
Problems with book on Malay journey.
Recommends Herbert Spencer and his Social statics.
Spencer’s "masterly" nebular hypothesis.
Has seen that ARW has read a paper to the Linnean Society.
Thinks that Herbert Spencer’s Social Statics (Spencer 1851) would be too deep for him.
On the Borneo cave exploration.
ARW will send his contribution to theory of origin of man. The vast mental and cranial differences between man and apes, whereas structural differences in other parts of body are small. The problem of explaining diversity of human races along with the stability of man’s form during all historical epochs. Discussion with "Anthropologicals" [following reading of ARW’s paper, "The origin of human races", before the Anthropological Society, 1 Mar 1864].
Response to ARW’s papers on Papilionidae ["On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 25 (1866): 1–71; abstract in Reader 3 (1864): 491–3],
and man ["The origin of human races", J. Anthropol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1864): clviii–clxxxvi].
The former is "really admirable" and will be influential.
The idea of the man paper is striking and new. Minor points of difference. Conjectures regarding racial differences; the possible correlation between complexion and constitution. His Query to Army surgeons to determine this point. Offers ARW his notes on man, which CD doubts he will be able to use.
On sexual selection in "our aristocracy"; primogeniture is a scheme for destroying natural selection.
[Letter incorrectly dated March by CD.]
Argues the antiquity of the human species because natural selection acts differently with respect to men. Changes in man are largely confined to head and brain. Warfare and sex are very uncertain as means of selection.
Gives CD complete credit for theory of natural selection.
Is beginning his narrative of his travels.
Lyell argues against tracing man as far back as Miocene times. R. I. Murchison’s argument that Africa is the oldest existing land implies that Africa is the place to look for early man.
