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1860-1869::1860::05 in date 
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From:
Bernard Peirce Brent
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[May–June 1860?]
Source of text:
DAR 160.3: 297
Summary:

Cannot supply a case of atavism in canaries.

Will lend CD back issues of Cottage Gardener.

Cites case of bird (tumbler hen) laying egg in another’s nest.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
J. Jackson
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[1 May 1860]
Source of text:
RS:HS 10.432
Summary:

Sending a printed circular on his proposed change in the currency.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Roderick Impey Murchison, 1st baronet
Date:
1 May [1860]
Source of text:
The British Library (Surrogate RP 7400)
Summary:

Much obliged for note from Alexander von Keyserling. Geologist going one inch with CD more important than naturalist going two or three.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
the Athenaeum
Date:
[1 May 1860]
Source of text:
Athenaeum, #1697 (May 5, 1860), 617 & John Taylor, The Great Pyramid, 2nd. ed. (
Summary:

[Following up on JH's 1860-4-23,] notes another numerical relationship between the dimensions of the Great Pyramid and those of the earth.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
2 May 1860
Source of text:
The University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections (Lyell collection Coll-203/A3/5: 176–9)
Summary:

It is small comfort to be told you will be succeeded in lineal descent by angels when Lamarck and Darwin have made your ancestors without souls. However, can the progressive system not be seen as most consonant with a higher destiny if all spiritual natures advance? The link of common descent to inferior beings like idiots should be obvious. Infants die before they become responsible. Pope’s An essay on Man [1733] shows how man was "In doubt to deem himself a God or Beast", without speculation on his genealogy.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Richard Christopher Carrington
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[2 May 1860]
Source of text:
RS:HS 5.214
Summary:

Thanks for his comments on the recent paper. Further points on the sun's equation. Will read his article on meteorology. Radcliffe Trustees have advertised the post again as there was only three applicants.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Henry Doubleday
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
3 May 1860
Source of text:
DAR 162.2: 237
Summary:

Has read Origin with pleasure.

Has performed many experiments which confirm his opinion that primrose, oxlip, and cowslip are three distinct species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Andrew Dickson (Andrew) Murray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
3 May 1860
Source of text:
DAR 47: 153–153a
Summary:

Responds to CD’s comments on his review of the Origin. Regrets lack of space often causes him to do injustice to CD and to himself. Agrees to alter some of his statements

and offers some evidence for his opinions on plant hybridising.

Sends references to papers mentioning cave insects. Paussi are not blind, as CD thinks, though some other insects that live in ants’ nests are. Each country over the world has its peculiar species of Paussi, though they all live in ants’ nests. "Physical condition I say – Natural Selection you say".

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Edward Sabine
Date:
[3 May 1860]
Source of text:
RS:HS 23.301
Summary:

Too ill to work on anything besides nebula catalogue. Discusses recent meteorological phenomena, period of solar spots, and great pyramid.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
Date:
4 May [1860]
Source of text:
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.210)
Summary:

Is sending CL an arrow-head. Says John Lubbock tells of vast numbers of flint tools in peat in France. Urges CL to conduct further research on the subject.

Comments on paper by J. S. Newberry concerning palaeozoic deposits in America [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 29 (1860): 208–18]

and on A. von Keyserling’s view of species change.

Mentions J. W. Salter’s chart arranging Spirifer.

Comments on Andrew Murray’s paper on the Origin ["On Mr Darwin’s theory of the origin of species", Proc. R. Soc. Edinburgh 4 (1860): 274–91].

A Manchester newspaper article says CD has proved "might is right".

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
John Stevens Henslow
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
5 May 1860
Source of text:
DAR 186: 47
Summary:

Reports to CD on what he has found out about Elodea growing near Cambridge.

Sedgwick is speaking at [Cambridge] Philosophical Society on CD’s "supposed errors" [Camb. Herald & Huntingdonshire Gaz. 19 May 1860, pp. 3–4].

JSH wonders how Owen can be so savage toward CD’s views when his own are "to a certain extent of the same character".

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Joseph Jopling
To:
Sir John Herschel
Date:
[5 May 1860]
Source of text:
RS:HS 10.418
Summary:

Pleased to hear that he has received his statements representing curves; comments on these. Further regarding his views on the Great Pyramid.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Andrew Dickson (Andrew) Murray
Date:
5 May [1860]
Source of text:
R. D. Pyrah (private collection)
Summary:

Thanks for AM’s kindness.

CD did not understand him about "prepotency".

With respect to cave animals CD believes that on reflection AM will admit "that on creation doctrine, there has been surprising diversity for such similar habitation".

Has heard from A. von Keyserling who "makes no difficulty about imperfection of Geological Record".

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
John Cattell
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[after 5 May 1860]
Source of text:
DAR 53.2: 167r
Summary:

Future orders will be highly esteemed.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:
7 May [1860]
Source of text:
DAR 115: 52
Summary:

To understand Leschenaultia pollination CD requires field observations in the native country.

Has observed two forms of cowslips, which he calls male and female. The same two forms are found in primroses.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Thomas Henry Huxley
Date:
7 May [1860]
Source of text:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 117)
Summary:

Observations on changes in physical proportions of pigeons.

The Saturday Review of 5 May has a defence of CD and THH by "a jolly good fellow".

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
7 May 1860
Source of text:
DAR 205.9: 396
Summary:

Saw Salter’s Spirifer specimens; a very good proof of indefinite modifiability.

Beginning to think gap between Cambrian and Lower Silurian enormous.

Édouard Lartet to give paper before Geological Society ["On coexistence of man with certain extinct quadrupeds", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 16 (1859–60): 471–5].

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Photographic News
Date:
[7 May 1860]
Source of text:
Photographic News, 4 (May 11, 1860), 13
Summary:

Discusses the possibility of stereoscopic photography of action scenes. Also speculates about color photography.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
John Stevens Henslow
Date:
8 May [1860]
Source of text:
DAR 93: A67–9
Summary:

Comments on Richard Owen’s review of the Origin [in Edinburgh Rev. 111 (1860): 487–532]. Considers Owen unfair to CD and most ungenerous toward Hooker.

Expects Sedgwick to be fierce against him. Sedgwick also misrepresented CD in his Spectator review [24 Mar and 7 Apr 1860].

Compares natural selection to the undulatory theory of light as a hypothesis explaining a large number of facts.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
Date:
8 [May 1860]
Source of text:
American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.211)
Summary:

Did not know about separation between Silurian and Cambrian.

Cannot attend Geological Society meeting.

Etty [Henrietta Darwin] ill.

Sedgwick in his attack at Cambridge Philosophical Society states "there must be [on CD’s theory] large genera not varying".

Discusses migration of plants and animals from Old World to New.

Views of Asa Gray on Aster.

Mentions flora of coal period.

Has been elected to Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project