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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.
Discusses the reasons for inserting questions on consanguineous marriages in the forthcoming Census.
"Your financial operations excite my envy beyond words." Reports on stock just received.
Copy of Duchenne [see 7089] has not arrived; CD is concerned that it may be lost.
The mark he had thought a variation is not, and he thinks his infusion still too small even when the blood is defibrinised.
Brief observations on expression in Africa.
Alexander Agassiz is a good investigator, who differs with his father on evolution.
The behaviour of women and savages is a little easier to understand than that of civilised men.
CD should soon receive woodcuts.
R. A. v. Kölliker would much like to visit CD.
Finds Academy contains valuable matter for his work.
Descent progresses slowly – will not be ready for press for several months.
Writes of some observations on the Sandwich Islands.
Arranges to come to Down with R. A. v. Kölliker.
Would like to visit CD at Down.
[Fourth] German edition of Origin will be out in a few weeks.
Regrets he cannot come to Down on day suggested.
Has sent off specimens of Virgularia but fears they are in bad state. He could not find his dried specimens. Encloses notes that can be relied upon but may be of little use.
Also encloses a memorandum for Prof. K. G. Semper.
CD thinks Alcide d’Orbigny may have given name of Virgularia patagonica.
CD enjoyed RAvK’s recent visit [see 7164].
Is leaving tonight for Genoa;
sends a French paper [not identified].
Asks CD to look at the "special phylogonies" on pp. 138 and 152 of his book [Forms of animal life (1870)]. His comments are based on reading Haeckel, who is highly speculative and quite wrong.
Thanks TTTT for his study of European spiders [On European spiders Part 1 (1869–70)] which bases its classification system on the theory of evolution.
Appreciation of eulogy in preface of ARW’s book [Theory of natural selection].
Italian translation [of Variation] is delayed, but printing should begin soon.
Will send CD one of his writings in which he defends the natural descent of man [Origin dell’uomo, 2d ed. (1870)].
CD’s theory is making great progress in Italy and daily gains supporters.
On amount of modification and lines of descent in determining the position in man.
Reference to StGJM’s article "On the appendicular skeleton of the primates" Phil. Trans. R. Soc. [157 (1867): 299–430],
and his [and James Murie’s] article on lemurs ["On the anatomy of Lemuroidea"] Trans. Zool. Soc. [7 (1872): 1–114].
Is not prepared to express an opinion on man’s origin. On pure anatomical grounds he would form a family of the higher division of the primates, but if man’s intellectual, moral, and religious nature is considered, then "he differs more from an Anthropoid Ape than such an Ape differs from a lump of granite".
Thanks StGJM for prompt answer correcting inaccuracies in CD’s notes on StGJM’s opinions. Expects "universal disapprobation" when he publishes Descent.