Problems with Mr Robinson, who has suddenly departed for Ireland for a month. The parish urgently needs some respectable man to hold the living permanently.
Problems with Mr Robinson, who has suddenly departed for Ireland for a month. The parish urgently needs some respectable man to hold the living permanently.
Sends abstract of his views on change of climate and a copy of a paper.
Glacial climates.
Enthusiastic about JDH’s plan for a British Flora – "a grand idea to make a Flora a guide for knowledge already acquired & to be acquired". Gives examples of subjects.
No work exists on various biological points in plants.
Requests autograph.
Acknowledges receipt of book and manuscript.
Full background on the difficulties of the vicarage of Down.
Sends his autograph.
Describes a supposed cross between a cow and a red deer or doe.
Sends news of his and Frank’s doings at Cambridge.
Thanks for the pamphlets; JL’s paper, "Primitive condition of man" [Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 6 (1868): 328].
Asks GHD to look in William Thomson’s book [W. Thomson and P. G. Tait, Treatise on natural philosophy, vol. 1 (1867)] to see how many million years ago Thomson says earth’s crust solidified. CD is troubled by "brevity of the world", because pre-Silurian creatures must have lived during endless ages "else my views wd be wrong, which is impossible – Q.E.D.".
Hybrid geese.
Proportions of sexes in sheep and cattle.
Pairing habits of crows.
Does not think the supposed cow–deer hybrid worth investigating.
John Robinson [the curate at Down] reported to be walking with girls at night.
On spurs in peacocks. [See Descent 1: 290 n.]
Thanks WDF for information about sheep and cattle.
Mentions corrections for new edition of Origin [5th ed. (1869)].
Will try to get more information about the supposed hybrid [of cow and deer].
The rumours about John Robinson [curate of Down] cause JBI concern. He will seek to get the facts – will try to protect Robinson against malicious rumours, but if he is immoral he must go forthwith.
Apologises; CD is correct: the object his foreman found is not organic.
Hopes Miss [Sarah Elizabeth] Wedgwood will sell part of her land for a parsonage at Down. Recounts his futile efforts to obtain land in the past.
Encloses news item about the supposed hybrid [of cow and deer].
Results of his breeding have not borne out his opinion that females are more numerous in Lepidoptera [see Descent 1: 313]. Still convinced he is right, suggests only way to settle question is by controlled breeding of large numbers of each species.