Showing 1–20 of 95 items
AS has been seriously ill with rheumatic fever.
Is studying the natives of South Africa to see whether he can trace any connection between them and the populations of North Africa.
Will send copy of second edition of HH's Essays on Scientific...Subjects (1862). Received letter from HH's friend and former patient Louis Napoleon, who will send copy of Napoleon's book on Gallic campaigns of Caesar.
Comments on JH's objections. Hopes to print some of the correspondence in his forthcoming book.
Calls attention to a report of a lake in Central America that 'gives rise to two rivers.'
Best candidate for WL's assistant seems to be [Albert] Marth of Durham. Describes new planetary nebula.
Counted seeds by tens. Sends some.
Stupefied by CD’s five forms of Lythrum.
Asa Gray busy with Cypripedium. JDH offers some to CD if he wants to challenge Gray.
J. W. Dawson’s review of JDH’s paper on Arctic plants.
Louis Lucien Bonaparte’s views on Basque and Finnish language [Langue basque et langues finnoises (1862)] suggest to JDH that Basques are Finns left behind after the glacial period, like the Arctic plants!
Requests reference to Jules Planchon’s monograph on Linum [Lond. J. Bot. 6 (1847): 588–603; 7 (1848): 165–86, 473–501, 507–28].
Sends list of seeds, including Oxalis, Boraginaceae especially Alkanna.
Asa Gray says JDH wrote reviews of Orchids in Gardeners’ Chronicle.
His experiments amuse him after dull day’s work on vegetables and fruit-trees.
Leschenaultia formosa has exterior stigma, thus eminently requiring insect aid, and thus ensuring crossing almost inevitably.
Asks whether Samuel Haughton at Dublin who made important medical discovery could be the same who reviewed Origin so hostilely [in Nat. Hist. Rev. 7 (1860): 23–32]; if so, he can sneer at and abuse CD to his heart’s content.
Asa Gray as rabid as ever [on Civil War].
The statement on p. 87 of Origin that birds break the eggs with their own beaks should be revised.
Discusses a crossing experiment.
Has been counting the seeds in pods [of Lythrum?].
Cannot see how J. W. Dawson can accuse JDH of asserting a subsidence of Arctic America. Much of evidence for subsidence during glacial period will prove false as it largely rests on ice action which is more and more viewed as subaerial.
Dawson is biased against Darwinism.
Suggests Greenland may have been repopulated after glacial period extinguished flora, by migration in sea-currents.
Max Müller’s view of origin of language is weakest part of his book [see 3752].
Would like to examine the rare Cypripedium hirsutissimum.
Compares positions for variable nebula in Taurus reported by several astronomers. Plans to incorporate JH's suggestion regarding Julian calendar into more convenient table of dates.
Is working on the descriptions of the nebulae for the catalogue [see GA's 1862-9-2].
Tells who received R.S.L. medals. Discusses possibility that [Henri] Regnault's recent work deserves Copley Medal. Wants JH's opinions. JH's letter concerning Melbourne telescope was sent to Lord Rosse.
Little work remaining in calculations for JH's nebulae. Likes JH's plan to represent 'the quantification of different qualifications' by numbers. Hold payment until work is done. Astounding disturbances in 'magnetic curves' (1841-1857). GA now accepts usefulness of magnetic observatories.
Agrees Max Müller’s book [see 3752] is interesting but cannot see how it will further his "cause".
A book by J. W. Colenso [The Pentateuch and book of Joshua critically examined, pt 1 (1862)] has just appeared and will "make a noise".
Would like some observations made on Cypripedium.
Will not publish yet on Lythrum as he must make many more crosses; the mid-styled is fertile with half of its own stamens.
Would like to try a few experiments on tendrils.
About some major variations in terrestrial magnetism readings.
The reductions are essentially complete; encourages JH in his part of the work and concludes 'It will be a noble work' [see JH's 1862-11-5].
JDH admits he wrote Gardeners’ Chronicle and Natural History Review articles on orchids [Gard. Chron. (1862): 789–90, 863, 910; Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 2 (1862): 371–6].
JDH’s objections to CD’s idea of how Greenland was repopulated. Temperate Greenland has as Arctic a flora as Arctic Greenland – a fact of astounding force. Why should certain Scandinavian species be absent? Migration by sea-currents can no more account for the present distribution in Greenland than can special creation.
Regrets the delay in his reply, but JH's letter was misdirected. It appears that his own theories are neither original nor correct and thanks him for his opinions.