Asa Gray’s criticism of Buckle and his comments on large and small genera.
CD suspects glacial epoch immensely long. Rates of organic change too variable to make them a good measure of geological time.
Bees’ cells are a difficulty for theory.
Showing 61–80 of 212 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.
Asa Gray’s criticism of Buckle and his comments on large and small genera.
CD suspects glacial epoch immensely long. Rates of organic change too variable to make them a good measure of geological time.
Bees’ cells are a difficulty for theory.
CD will go over his pigeon MS and then dispose of all his birds. Has Burmese fowls’ skins if WBT is interested.
A set of questions CD prepared for his meeting with WHM to discuss the geometry of bees’ cells.
Asks WDF for facts about stripes in horses and ponies.
Health has been very bad.
Is much obliged and honoured by the Diploma of the Geographical Society of Vienna.
Bees’ cells; GRW thinks hexagonal shape is accidental. Encloses notes on cells of Icaria.
[Copy of some rough notes.] References about species. Variations within species.
Thanks LJ for his MS [of "Variation of species", Rep. BAAS 26 (1856): 101–5].
Will read it at his hydropathic establishment [Moor Park], where he is going for a rest.
"Excessively" interested in theory of bees’ cell formation.
Fears few of his pigeons will be of any use to WBT.
Hopes WBT will describe foreign poultry breeds.
Concerned about ED’s headaches, CD writes an affectionate letter.
Believes he has found a rare slave-making species of ant.
Is reading novels: Beneath the surface and Three chances.
Has been at Moor Park since Tuesday. Is passing his time watching ants.
Confidential revelation concerning W. F. Daniell.
Georg Hartung confirms CD’s supposition from flora of Azores that icebergs had been stranded there.
Comments on letter from Georg Hartung to CL dealing with erratic boulders.
Discusses migration of plants and animals.
A letter from Thomas Thomson on heat endured by temperate plants.
CD recounts an idyllic stroll and nap – "as pleasant a rural scene as ever I saw, and I did not care one penny how any of the beasts or birds had been formed".
Returns MS [of "Variation of species"]; several facts were new to him, especially interested in wagtails.
Wishes he could swallow Florent Prévost on sparrows ["Du régime alimentaire des oiseaux", C. R. Hebd. Acad. Sci. 46 (1858): 136–8].
LJ’s facts seem to bear out CD’s conclusion that secondary sexual characters were most variable of all.
Explains how he intends to deal with variation, and general facts in natural history in the light of species theory. Can only afford one chapter on variation in nature. It seems more important to make out variation in domestic animals.
Asks for facts on birds’ nests for his chapter on instincts.
Calculations relating to bees’ cells.
Discusses bees’ cells
and WED’s botanical interests.
Reports that N. J. Andersson finds every European willow bar one is also American.
Has heard from David Livingstone and reports on his progress.
Sends MS on large and small genera.
Observed slave-making ants at Moor Park.
Will be most curious to hear results of WDF’s experiment with a kite and turkey chicks "by themselves".
If WDF ever sees a striped dun horse, he should ascertain colour of dam and sire.