From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Alexander von Humboldt
Date:
[11 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 23.84
Summary:
Answers questions raised by AH in his 1850-1-19 [letter contains notes made by AH].
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
James de Carle Sowerby
Date:
12 Feb [1850]
Source of text:
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.)
Summary:
Because of health, CD will postpone coming to London until all drawings are finished.
Asks JdeCS, if he is able "with any honesty", to "purloin" for him a proof-sheet of Frederick Dixon’s plate with cirripedes [in Geology and fossils … of Sussex (1850)].
Requests statement of total owed to JdeCS as a guide to the future.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Henry Holland
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
14 February [1850]
Source of text:
unknown
Summary:
Thanks for congratulations on marriage of HH's daughter. Notes HH's review of J. C. Prichard's Natural History of Man in December issue of Quarterly Review, written while on holiday in Armenia.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
William Radcliffe Birt
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[14 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 4.139
Summary:
Has received an interesting communication from the Rev. J. B. Reade of Stone, near Aylesbury, on the zodiacal light. Comments on this.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Edward Sabine
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[15 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 15.336
Summary:
Glad to have seen Lady Herschel and children. Is recovering slowly. Thanks JH for interest in [Francis] Ronalds's work. Discusses paper ES has submitted for R.S.P.T.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Heinrich Christian Schumacher
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[15 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 15.406
Summary:
[A. C.] Petersen [?] claims to have found a new comet near JH's nebula #379. Look for it, but do not announce this discovery.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Roderick Impey Murchison
Date:
[15 February 1850]
Source of text:
EUL:Gen523/4/39 (ACCS: TxU:H/L-0269; Reel 1054)
Summary:
Proposes priorities for allocating £1000 granted to R.S.L. by government. Disagrees with RM and Edward Sabine; R.S.L. should not assume responsibility for observatory or any other permanent institution.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
William Empson
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
17 February [1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 7.70
Summary:
Would JH agree that his review of L. A. J. Quetelet's book on probabilities be allowed to stand until the June number as there is a large paper on observations for the next number [of the Edinburgh Review]?
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
R. Courtney
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[20 February 1850]
Source of text:
TxU:H/M-0151.1; Reel 1087
Summary:
Notes discrepancy in date for discovery of planet Hygeia. Please furnish correct date and return to Spottiswoodes & Shaw, printers.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Palaeontographical Society
Date:
[before 22 Feb 1850]
Source of text:
British Geological Survey Archives (Palaeontographical Society minutes)
Summary:
Read letter from CD offering a monograph of British fossil cirripedes.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
James Dwight Dana
Date:
24 Feb [1850]
Source of text:
Yale University Library: Manuscripts and Archives (Dana Family Papers (MS 164) Series 1, Box 2, folder 43)
Summary:
Regrets delay in sending pamphlets for JDD.
Thanks him for information concerning cirripedes.
Sends thanks to Charles Pickering for information about plant distribution.
Discusses boring species of cirripedes.
Believes Harry D. S. Goodsir mistaken about parasites on Balanus ["Observations on organs of generation in Crustacea", Edinburgh New Philos. J. 36 (1843–4): 183–6]. In fact parasites are the males of the species.
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Henry Warburton
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[24 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 18.54
Summary:
Admires chimes analogy in JH's 'On Circulating Functions' [1818]. Resumed interest in partitions of numbers in development of periodic functions. Finds JH's method superior. Encourages him to publish it. WH and Augustus De Morgan developed original method, which WH erred in attributing to Leonhard Euler. De Morgan's paper to Cambridge [Philosophical] Society demonstrates theorem leading to proof of Euler's theorem.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
James Scott Bowerbank
Date:
25 Feb [1850]
Source of text:
DAR 185: 104
Summary:
Is sending JSB sponges.
He returns the Plumularia on which the beautiful Scalpellum ornatum was attached. [See 1229.]
Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Edward Sabine
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[25 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 15.229
Summary:
Discusses shipping some of JH's books, with a shipment of other books for the Royal Society, to the R.S.L. in order to save shipping charges.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Henry Warburton
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[25 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 18.55
Summary:
Explains HW's method for periodic functions.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Thomas Maclear
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[26 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 12.147
Summary:
Pleased to receive JH's letter, which he hastens to answer to remove any misconceptions regarding the equatorial. Comments on some of his observations of stars. Received [T. R.] Robinson's proposal for a large reflector. William Mann has just finished 8 years of tide gauge measures. Grieves to hear of the illness of W. R. Dawes. [George] Smalley's financial affairs have come to a crisis. Convict question has been settled; they are to be sent to Van Diemen's Land.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Henry Warburton
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[27 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 18.56
Summary:
'Private & Confidential.' Urges JH to accept University of London's senate invitation to join Board, which JH previously declined. Names others invited.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Henry Warburton
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
1850-[2-27 or later]
Source of text:
RS:HS 18.58
Summary:
'Private & Confidential.' All seven invited to join [University of London's] senate have agreed. Urges JH to reconsider.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
John R. Hind
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[28 February 1850]
Source of text:
RS:HS 9.348
Summary:
Sends an interesting result of the comet computed by Mr. Barber of Etwell. W. R. Dawes's observations are about to be printed. Wilhelm Struve has some curious optical equations. Will be pleased to see Dr. [Henry?] Holland when he arrives.
Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
To:
Sir William Jackson Hooker
Date:
28 February 1850
Source of text:
JDH/1/10 f.262-267, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Summary:
As a result of Rajah's tricks & climate JDH lost many parts of collections, now replacing. Thomas Thomson [TT] & Maxwell are surveying Rumman river. Lord Dalhousie has not settled TT & JDH's future route. Madden & J.M. Grant are leaving. JDH has sketch book for WJH, a Mrs Lydiard[?] insists on making a large coloured drawing for WJH. Discusses expenses for the FLORA ANTARCTICA. Sceptical of Mr Archer's plant, supposes it cannot be female Huon pine. Discusses leaving West Park for Aiton's house. Discusses instruments; telescope, azimuth compass, theodolite, barometer, actinometer, sextent watch, chemical box & mentions Thuillier's kindness. Parcels sent to Calcutta [Kolkata] containing seeds, items from Snows, Lhasa purses, Larch, Brunoniana, Khutrow cones, & whole specimens of R. nivale. Tchuka rhubarb & Rhododendron manuscript will go next mail. Falconer planted Webbiana seeds in Calcutta & the boxes go to England with JDH's 1848 dried collection & museum specimens. Vegetable bellows to follow & also 100 kinds of wood. Mentions bulky specimens, gunny cloth, lutea fibre, knife & cloth died red with munjeet from the Rajah, cloth died yellow with Symplocos, & fibres of Sterculia. Thinks Lushington & General made inconceivable mess of Sikkim affair & discuses this in detail. Hodgson delighted with 'Hodgsonia'. JDH sorry he cannot send drawings of anthers, has written to ask Cathcart. Discusses Wightia. Has recommended Thwaites to Wight. Royle[?] sent Tea pamphlet. Sends fragment of Cypress unlike Staunton's drawings. Thanks WJH for offer of money to travel in Nepaul [Nepal]. Mentions Bellender Ker [Kerr]. Thinks Greenough[?] very kind & will work on Geographical Society map. Discusses: the Donkiah [Dongkha La] pass, excellent coloured sketch of Thibet, Bhotia servant & profits for the Linnean Society. Has no acorns so far. Sends more Larch seeds by Secretary India House & has planted some.
Contributor:
Hooker Project