Discusses Balanophora with conspicuous male flowers and absent female perianth.
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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.
Discusses Balanophora with conspicuous male flowers and absent female perianth.
Sends a pamphlet by W. R. Greg [Malthus: re-examined by the light of physiology (1868)].
Many Cucurbitaceae have smaller male than female flowers.
Has written to H. C. Watson on the counterbalance [to variation] of crossing and uniform conditions. Watson has forgotten the argument.
Has written to F. Müller on abnormal Solanum.
Does not understand Hildebrand on potatoes.
T. V. Wollaston’s financial misfortunes.
CD’s son George’s success [at Cambridge].
Wollaston’s situation hopeless; he must go to Boulogne or Jersey to live. A friend will keep his collection and books together.
JDH’s opinion of Wollaston’s Coleoptera Hesperidum [1867].
Cannot read Duke of Argyll.
CD’s view of Asa Gray as foreign member of Royal Society; compares him to Candolle.
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.
Rejoices over news of Variation sales.
Pall Mall Gazette review [7 (1868): 555, 636, 652] is undoubtedly by G. H. Lewes [see 5951].
Dinner at Lyells’.
Dean Stanley favours a monument to Faraday in Westminster Abbey.
Perceval Wright is back from Seychelles and reports on plants he collected.
Could not believe Owen to be so demoniacal as to write the Athenæum review [of Variation].
Gardeners’ Chronicle review [see 5918] is weak. CD’s ideas on causes of variation may be as hazy as the reviewer’s.
Huxley’s clever remark on Pangenesis. JDH’s view of Pangenesis as fundamental to development doctrines, but nothing is gained by formulation in terms of germs or gemmules.
Tries to answer question on last page of CD’s letter anent sexuality.
Now quite understands Pangenesis. Satisfaction given by it, as CD says, may depend on one’s mental constitution. In all cases of descent JDH has always thought "all the properties of the parents are transmitted in the one cell and were diffused to every part of the future offspring".
Tyndall believes he feels atoms as firmly as St Paul believed he saw Christ.
Goes to N. Wales with Huxley.
Wishes to borrow Duke of Argyll’s Reign of law.
The BAAS Presidential Address [Rep. BAAS 38 (1868): lviii–lxxv] – his unhappiness about it; history of botany requires too much reading.
Smith will supply notes on Euryale.
Trip with Huxley was perfect.
At Torquay later he had a lecture on "Kent’s hole" from Joseph Pengelly.
George Bentham acknowledges himself unreservedly a convert to Darwinism. Many will still cling to a "rag of protection, but will eventually haul it down".
A. Murray’s later parts better than first [? Geographical distribution of mammals (1866)].
Wallace’s paper shows great ability.
Disgusted with [Duke of Argyll’s] Reign of law.
His depression and exhaustion.
Horrified to find he has forgotten to announce birth of daughter.
Will get name of grass [see 6243] from Gen. William Munro.
Has heard from Charles Wheatstone that CD has Prussian Order of Merit. Rejoices because it is the only distinction worth a fig.
Went to Handel festival; heard Messiah.
Went to poor old N. B. Ward’s funeral.
The grass [see 6243] is Sporobolus elongatus, common in the tropics.
Visit to Oxford with X Club.
On his forthcoming address.
Sketches out subjects he intends to speak on at Norwich [BAAS meeting]: museums, CD’s work in botany, Pangenesis, early history of mankind.
Asks about CD’s "book on man" [Descent].
Asks for information on how many languages Origin has appeared in, how many English and American editions it has gone through, and its reception abroad. Wants to disprove statement that the theory is "fast passing away".
Baby ill, scarcely any hope of recovery.
Some botanical books have come for CD.
Thanks for information in CD’s letter.
Baby has been ill.
Has finished rough sketch of [BAAS] address.
Has got G. H. Richard to take Geographical Section at Norwich meeting.
Coming on Saturday.
Baby and wife pretty well.
Reports on Norwich address [Rep. BAAS 38 (1868): lviii–lxxv]. Left out some things, i.e., Asa Gray’s being superseded.
Tyndall says CD and JDH are types of "unconscious merit".
The newspapers’ pother about his mild theology.
Tyndall’s reference to JDH and CD as the two "modestest" men in science.
Huxley offended the clergy twice without cause or warrant.
William Hooker ill.
Astronomers do not like JDH’s reference to them.
Has met A. J. Gower, Consul at Nagasaki, Japan, who knows all about the Ainus. JDH has given away all the copies of CD’s Queries about expression.
Nettled by Pall Mall Gazette review of BAAS address [see 6342].
Owen is indeed an ass. Carlyle’s comment on Owen’s smile.
The Asa Grays at Kew.