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.
Encloses seeds.
Lecoq’s work mentions instances of apparent dimorphism. [H. Lecoq, Études sur la géographie botanique de l’Europe, 9 vols. (1854–8).]
Thanks for copy of Orchids.
Hopes to have Lythrum hyssopifolium seeds to send soon.
BAAS is meeting in Cambridge and all eminent Cambridge men are wanted present. If his health were reliable, CD would be in chair of Botany and Zoology Section.
Believes the [Lythrum] seeds have been sent to CD by Stratton [Curator, Cambridge Botanic Garden]. They have none of the others requested.
Glad to hear CD well again.
Will send Lythrum hyssopifolium flowers from Botanic Garden if they are in bloom; does not know where to find wild specimen, but thinks they are same as garden type.
Is finishing his course of lectures, which was attended by 35–45 people.
CCB thought CD wanted live specimens, but now will send some dried ones from his herbarium.
Cannot get any Stellaria graminea for CD. It is rare. Some, producing different kinds of flowers, once grew in Sandgate, Kent. Variations in flowers need to be re-examined.
University has at last provided room for a small zoological museum. The Philosophical Society might donate its collections to it, including CD’s fishes.
On CD’s application to pay up at once his shares in the Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway; directors’ policy is to receive payment on only 50% of shares allotted.
Colour differences in annelids and entozoa.
Thanks for Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]; will examine some [Edinburgh] Botanic Garden samples in its light.
Huxley visiting Edinburgh and spoke on man’s zoological relations with monkeys [see Man’s place in nature (1863)]. JHB disagrees with his views.
Thanks for paper on Linum [Collected papers 2: 93–105].
One of his gardeners [John Scott] is also studying such fertilisation and appreciates CD’s encouragement; Scott has paper to read for Edinburgh Botanical Society.
Does not know an Edinburgh nurseryman who can supply the cowslips and primroses CD wants; will try to get them from the Botanic Garden.
Hears from Hooker that CD is also examining Lythrum.
Replies to Queries on expression based on observations of the Kaffir and Fingoe tribes in South Africa.
Sends replies on dogs – sexual differences and preferences.
On the summer, or breeding, plumage of birds.
Crying and the action of the orbicularis.
Asks CD’s opinion on the accuracy of stating that barley and wheat are different varieties of the same species.
On the colours of sexes in Crustacea; the structure of male crabs.
On the proportion of sexes in crabs; coloration and structural differences.
