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.
Quotes information from Dr Power on colour of sexes of Crustacea in Mauritius [see Descent 1: 335].
On dentition of moles. On double teeth [see Variation 2: 391].
Difference in size of male and female Crustacea.
On structure of Crustacea; size of claws [see Descent 1: 330–1].
A case of fighting in crabs (Portunus puber against Carcinus maenas) [see Descent 1: 332].
On hybridism between the fox and dog; asks whether CD knows of a reliable case of offspring from this cross.
Does CD want details on a white cat with blue eyes, but not deaf?
Mating practice of Carcinus maenas [see Descent 1: 331].
Difference in size in sexes of Crustacea.
Reports a case of a smooth-leaved holly tree with one branch of prickly leaves; is willing to supply more details.
Provides further detail on his smooth-leaved holly tree with a spiny-leaved branch; his gardener asserts no budding or grafting has taken place.
Glad CD approves of the orchids he sent.
Believes the pollinia of Mormodes are projected; thinks CD should look at the pollinia of Chysis and investigate the hybrid between Limatodes and Calanthe.
For his father [James Bateman], he sends three more species of orchids and names of others described by CD.
Sends his paper ["Insect fauna of the Amazon valley", Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 2d ser. 5 (1861): 223–8, 335–61].
Points out three areas of interest arising from the study of the species of Papilio: the derivation of the fauna, the variability of the species, and the permanence of local varieties.
Discusses J. S. Baly’s views on specific differences in reproductive organs [Catalogue of the Hispidae in the collection of the British Museum (1858)].
Discusses specific varieties, especially geographic varieties.
Comments on the effects of the glacial age on the tropics.
Sexual selection.
Mention of Volucella.
Discusses the mimicry of the Volucella flies, and the bees and wasps they mimic. Compares it with the different object of mimicry in butterflies.
Refers to incompleteness of Cuthbert Collingwood’s paper [? "On homophormism, or organic representative forms", Proc. Liverpool Lit. & Philos. Soc. 14 (1860): 181–216].
Thanks CD for help in selecting a publisher for his book [The naturalist on the river Amazons (1863)].
Furnishes CD with more information on Volucella and gives him references relating to this and butterfly colourings. States that colours are not necessarily related to resting-places but rather an endowment to enable them to withstand adverse conditions.
Sends CD ch. 2 of his book [The naturalist on the river Amazons] for suggestions, having accepted CD’s recommendations concerning ch. 1.
Effects of climate on dress in ch. 1 similar to, but independent of, notions expressed by CD in his Journal of researches [p. 381].
On geology, book deals with distribution and theory of deltas of the Amazon.
Grieved to hear of CD’s illness; begs him not to give moment’s thought to his MS until health has returned.
Plans to exhibit mimetic butterflies at Linnean Society.
Thanks CD for returned MS and letter with its good opinion. Asks CD to write to Murray.
Accepts CD’s invitation.
Discusses insects of south temperate S. America and New Zealand, especially with respect to the distribution and origin of Chilean Carabi, and has sent for a German monograph to learn about the eleven species he has found.
He refers to Chilean poverty in butterflies; scanty New Zealand insect fauna.
An analysis of south temperate insects is desirable, but the small English collections make him afraid to undertake it.