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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 S. S. Haldeman’s paper ["Enumeration of the recent freshwater Mollusca", Boston J. Nat. Hist. 4 (1844): 468–84].
Centres of species origin.
Describes his corrections of Origin.
CD making extensive corrections on proofs of Origin. Worries that style is too dry.
Doubts about Joseph Prestwich’s discovery [of flint tools].
Comments on ACR’s "The old glaciers [of Switzerland and N. Wales", in Peaks, passes, and glaciers: a series of excursions by members of the Alpine Club, ed. J. Ball (1859)]. Discusses erratic blocks in the Jura. Notes views of Lyell.
Report on three rare beetles they have recently taken in Down parish.
Has finished ACR’s article ["The old glaciers of Switzerland and N. Wales" in Peaks, passes, and glaciers, ed. J. Ball (1859)]. Asks the authority for glacial drifts in Siberia. Wishes ACR would examine the Glen Roy parallel roads and settle the problem.
Asks if it is certain that traces of organic remains have been found in Long Mynd beds.
No doubt about worm-holes in the Long Mynd, and they are certainly lower than J. Barrande’s primordial zone. Fossils in Laurentian gneiss.
Thanks CL for copy of his paper ["Structure of lavas", Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 148 (1858): 703–86].
Promises him a copy of Origin.
Thanks for answer to queries.
Expresses intention of reporting observations of traces of life in the Long Mynd beds and asks permission to cite ACR on his recent discovery of fossils in the Laurentian marbles of Canada.
Urges ACR’s investigation of Glen Roy problems.
Sends payment for Francis Darwin’s tutoring. Inquires about possible arrangements for his son Leonard, who is slow and not well, to attend with Francis.
Asks whether he can have a cutting of GVR’s carrion-smelling Arum which he needs for an experiment.
Returns JDH’s proofs. He is so involved in Origin he cannot judge force of JDH’s arguments. Some detailed comments.
Haldeman’s old paper [see 2470] clever, but does not have natural selection. Explaining adaptation has always seemed turning point of theory of natural selection.
Discusses affairs at Down and WED’s coming trip to the Lakes.
Is getting on very slowly with his "confounded proof-sheets" [of Origin].
His uncle, Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin, has asked if FSD’s son-in-law, Marcus Huish, can shoot over CD’s Beesby property. Can JH advise?
Suggests giving Marcus Huish permission to shoot over CD’s Beesby estate, but not to revoke JH’s occasional privilege to take a visitor shooting there.
Has written to his uncle, Sir Francis Sacheverel Darwin, to say that without revoking the right of shooting over Beesby, granted to JH, he is happy to allow Marcus Huish to shoot over the farm.
Sends five sheets [of Origin] to printer. Incapable of forming an opinion, but thinks he has the style "fairly good and clear". Cannot conjecture if book will be successful enough to satisfy JM.
Thanks RM for copies of CD’s article on geology in the Admiralty scientific manual [J. F. W. Herschel ed., A manual of scientific enquiry (1849)].
CD wants JDH to make clear in introduction to Flora Tasmaniae that remarks on CD’s theory refer to his 1858 paper ["On the tendency of species to form varieties", Collected papers 2: 3–19].
Has an astonishing lot of mongrel poultry and expects next generation to approach Gallus bankiva in red-brown plumage.
Compares Jamaican with British and European honey combs.
Requests one-half dozen dead bees and 2 or 3 drones from Mr Wilkie’s stock.
His admiration for RH’s varied accomplishments and service "in the sacred cause of humanity" [the abolition of slavery].
Asks whether it is believed that domestic animals long bred in Jamaica tend to assume a particular colour or character.
Are differences observed in the West Indies in the liability of pure Europeans of light complexion and hair to take the yellow fever or other tropical complaints?
Will forward ARW’s "admirable" paper to Linnean Society ["On the zoological geography of the Malay Archipelago", J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.) 4 (1860): 172–84].
Discusses geographical distribution of animals in the Malay Archipelago; relation of distribution to depth of sea between islands.
Relation of Celebes to Africa almost passes belief.
Differs wholly from ARW on colonisation of oceanic islands; does not believe in Forbes’s great continental extensions.
Anticipates Owen’s opposition to their views, but "he is a poor reasoner & deeply considers the good opinion of the world, especially the aristocratic world".