WCP1841

Letter (WCP1841.1731)

[1]

Down Bromley Kent

Jan. 25th [1859]1

My dear Sir

I was extremely much pleased at receiving three days ago your letter to me & that to Dr. Hooker.2 Permit me to say how heartily I admire the spirit in which they are written. Though I had absolutely nothing whatever to do in leading Lyell3 & Hooker to what they thought a fair course of action, yet I naturally could not but feel anxious to hear what your impression would be. I owe [2] indirectly much to you & them; for I almost think that Lyell would have proved right & I sh[oul]d. never have completed my larger work, for I have found my abstract hard enough with my poor health, but now thank God I am in my last chapter, but one. My abstract will make a small vol[ume]. of 400 or 500 pages.4 — Whenever published, I will of course send you a copy, & then you will see what I mean about the part which I believe [3] Selection has played with domestic productions.5 It is a very different part, as you suppose, from that played by "Natural Selection". —

I sent off, by same address as this note, a copy of Journal of Linn. Soc.6 & subsequently I have sent some 1/2 dozen copies of the Paper. — I have many other copies at your disposal; & I sent two to your friend Dr. Davies(?)7 author of works on men’s skulls. —

I am glad to hear that you have been attending to Bird’s nest;8 I have done so, though almost [4] exclusively under one point of view, viz to show that instincts vary, so that selection could work on & improve them. Few other instincts, so to speak, can be preserved in a museum —

Many thanks for your offer to look after Horses stripes;9 if there are any Donkey’s pray add them. —

I am delighted to hear that you have collected Bees’ combs;10 when next in London I will enquire [5] of F. Smith11 & Mr Saunders.12 This is an especial hobby of mine, & I think I can throw light on subject. — If you can collect duplicates at no very great expence[sic], I sh[oul]d. be glad of specimens for myself with some Bees of each Kind.— Young growing & irregular combs, & those which have not had pupae are most valuable for measurements & examination: their edges [6] sh[oul]d be well protected against abrasion. —

Everyone whom I have seen has thought your paper13 very well written & interesting. It puts my extracts, [written in 1839 now just 20 years ago!] which I must say in apology were never for an instant intended for publication, in the shade.

You ask about Lyell’s frame of mind. I think he is somewhat staggered, but does not give in, & speaks with horror often to me, of what a [7] thing it would be & what a job it would be for the next Edition of Principles,14 if he were "perverted". — But he is most candid & honest & I think will end by being perverted. — Dr. Hooker has become almost as heteredox as you or I. — and I look at Hooker as by far the most capable judge in Europe. —

Most cordially do I wish [8] you health & entire success in all your pursuits & God knows if admirable zeal & energy deserve success, most amply do you deserve it.

I look at my own career as nearly run out: if I can publish my abstract & perhaps my greater work on same subject, I shall look at my course as done.

Believe me, | my dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin [signature]

1
The letter bears a later annotation in pencil in an unknown hand under the date with a possible year of writing: "1859?".
2
Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1817-1911). British botanist, explorer and second Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
3
Lyell, Charles (1797-1875). British lawyer and geologist.
4
Published as Darwin, C. 1859. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. London, UK: John Murray.
5
Darwin had developed an interest in artificial selection, or breeding of animals for husbandry, which he considered in conjunction with natural selection (Desmond, A., Moore, J. and Browne, J. 2015. Darwin, Charles Robert (1809-1882). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. <https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/7176> [accessed 10 January 2019]).
6
Darwin refers to the issue of this journal containing Darwin, C. & Wallace, A. 1858. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural means of Selection. Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society. Zoology. 3(9): 45-62.
7
Davis, Joseph Barnard (1801-1881). British physician and craniologist, who by 1856, had commenced work with John Thurnam on Crania Britannica. Delineations and Descriptions of the Skulls of the Aboriginal and Early Inhabitants of the British Islands: with notices of their other remains, completed in 1865 and published in 2 volumes in London (Bettany, G. T., revised Hervey, N. 2007. Davis, Joseph Barnard (1801-1881). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/7289> [accessed 11 January 2019]).
8
Darwin discussed nest-building instincts in birds in his manuscript of On the Origin of Species (see: Stauffer, R. C. (Ed.). 1975. Charles Darwin's Natural Selection. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. [pp. 498-506]), and ARW later published on the subject (Wallace, A. R. 1867. The philosophy of birds' nests. Intellectual Observer. 11: 413-420; Wallace. A. R. 1867. Birds' nests and plumage, or the relation between sexual differences of colour and the mode of nidification in birds. Gardeners' Chronicle and Agriculural Gazette. 12 October 1867: 1047-1048; Wallace. A. R. 1868. A theory of birds' nests: shewing the relation of certain sexual differences of colour in birds to their mode of nidification. Journal of Travel and Natural History. 1(1868-9): 73-89).
9
Darwin's interests in the 1850s included the colours of horses, and particularly stripes, relating to his investigations into the laws of inheritance of colour, see, for example, Darwins' letter to James Egan of 8 November [1858] on that subject (University of Cambridge. 2018. Letter no. DCP-LETT-2354]. Darwin Correspondence Project. <http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-2354> [accessed 14 January 2019]).
10
Darwin's interests at that period also included the evolution of the honeycomb as part of his theory of natural selection. (University of Cambridge. 2018. The evolution of honeycomb. Darwin Correspondence Project. <https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/commentary/life-sciences/evolution-honeycomb> [accessed 14 January 2019]).
11
Smith, Frederick (1805-1879). British entomologist specialising in the Hymenoptera.
12
Saunders, William Wilson (1809-1879). British insurance broker, entomologist and botanist.
13
Wallace, A. R. 1858-1859. On the Tendency of Varieties to depart indefinitely from the Original Type. [read 1 July 1858]. Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society. Zoology. 3: 53-62.
14
Lyell C. 1830-33. Principles of Geology, being an attempt to explain the former changes of the Earth’s surface, by reference to causes now in operation, 3 vols. London, UK: John Murray, which went through 12 editions, the ninth had been published in 1853, but the tenth did not appear until 1866-1868.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP1841.1731)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Darwin Correspondence Project [2012-06-29] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Watt, Helen [2019-01-29]

Published letter (WCP1841.5924)

[1] [p. 134]

LETTER III

C. DARWIN TO A. R. WALLACE

Down, Bromley, Kent. January 25, 1859.

My dear Sir, — I was extremely much pleased at receiving three days ago your letter to me and that to Dr Hooker. Permit me to say how heartily I admire the spirit in which they are written. Though I had absolutely nothing whatever to do in leading Lyell and Hooker to what they thought a fair course of action, yet I naturally could not but feel anxious to hear what your impression would be. I owe indirectly much to you and them; for I almost think that Lyell would have proved right and I should never have completed my larger work, for I have found my abstract1 hard enough with my poor health; but now, thank God, I am in my last chapter but one. My abstract will make a small volume of 400 or 500 pages. Whenever published, I will of course send you a copy, and then you will see what I mean about the part which I believe selection has played with domestic productions. It is a very different part, as you suppose, from that played by "natural selection."

I sent off, by same address as this note, a copy of the Journal of the Linnean Society, and subsequently I have sent some half-dozen copies of the Paper. I have many other copies at your disposal; and I sent two to your friend Dr Davies (?), author of works on men's skulls.

I am glad to hear that you have been attending to birds' nests; I have done so, though almost exclusively under one point of view, viz. to show that instincts vary, so that selection could work on and improve them. [2] [p. 135] Few other instincts, so to speak, can be preserved in a museum.

Many thanks for your offer to look after horses' stripes; if there are any donkeys', pray add them.

I am delighted to hear that you have collected bees' combs; when next in London I will inquire of F. Smith and Mr Saunders. This is an especial hobby of mine, and I think I can throw light on the subject. If you can collect duplicates at no very great expense, I should be glad of specimens for myself, with some bees of each kind. Young growing and irregular combs, and those which have not had pupae, are most valuable for measurements and examination; their edges should be well protected against abrasion.

Everyone whom I have seen has thought your paper very well written and interesting. It puts my extracts (written in 1839, now just twenty years ago), which I must say in apology were never for an instant intended for publication, in the shade.

You ask about Lyell's frame of mind. I think he is somewhat staggered, but does not give in, and speaks with horror often to me of what a thing it would be and what a job it would be for the next edition of the Principles if he were "perverted." But he is most candid and honest, and I think will end by being perverted. Dr Hooker has become almost as heterodox as you or I — and I look at Hooker as by far the most capable judge in Europe.

Most cordially do I wish you health and entire success in all your pursuits; and God knows, if admirable zeal and energy deserve success, most amply do you deserve it. I look at my own career as nearly run out; if I can publish my abstract, and perhaps my greater work on the same subject, I shall look at my course as done. — Believe me, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely, C. DARWIN.

1
A footnote here reads: "The Origin of Species".

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP1841.5924)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Published letter (WCP1841.6889)

[1] [p. 220]

DOWN, BROMLEY KENT.

Jan. 5. [1859.]

MY DEAR SIR,

I was extremely much pleased at receiving three days ago your letter to me and that to Dr Hooker. Permit me to say how heartily I admire the spirit in which they are written. Though I had absolutely nothing whatever to do in leading Lyell and Hooker to what they thought a fair course of action, yet I naturally could not but feel anxious to hear what your impression would be. I owe indirectly much to you and them ; for I almost think that Lyell would have proved right and I should never have completed my larger work, for I have found my abstract hard enough with my poor health, but now thank God I am in my last chapter but one. My abstract will make a small vol. of 400 or 500 pages. Whenever published, I will of course send you a copy, and then you will see what I mean about the part which I believe selection has played with domestic productions. It is a very different part, as you suppose, from that played by "natural selection." I sent off, by same address as this note, a copy of Journal of Linnean Society and subsequently I have sent some ½ dozen copies of the Paper. I have many other copies at your disposal; and [2] [p. 221] I sent two to your friend Dr Davies (?) author of works on rnens' skulls.

I am glad to hear that you have been attending to Bird's nest; I have done so, though almost exclusively under one point of view, viz. to show that instincts vary, so that selection could work on and improve them. Few other instincts, so to speak, can be preserved in a museum.

Many thanks for your offer to look after Horses' stripes; if there are any Donkeys pray add them.

I am delighted to hear that you have collected Bees' combs: when next in London I will enquire of F. Smith and Mr Saunders. This is an especial hobby of mine, and I think I can throw light on [the] subject. If you can collect duplicates at no very great expense, I should be glad of specimens for myself with some Bees of each kind. Young growing and irregular combs, and those which have not had pupa are most valuable for measurements and examination: their edges should be well protected against abrasion.

Everyone whom I have seen has thought your paper very well written and interesting. It puts my extracts (written in 1839 now just 20 years ago!), which I must say in apology were never for an instant intended for publication, in the shade.

You ask about Lyell's frame of mind. I think he is somewhat staggered, but does not give in, and speaks with horror often to me, of what a thing it would be and what a job it would be for the next Edition of Principles, if he were "perverted." But he is most candid and honest and I think will end by being perverted. Dr Hooker has [3] [p. 222] become almost as heterodox as you or I — and I look at Hooker as by far the must capable judge in Europe.

Most cordially do I wish you health and entire success in all your pursuits, and God knows if admirable zeal and energy deserve success, most amply do you deserve it. I look at my own career as nearly run out : if I. can publish my abstract and perhaps my greater work on [the] same subject, I shall look at my course as done.

Believe me, my dear Sir, | Yours very sincerely, | C. DARWIN.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP1841.6889)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP1841,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 11 October 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1841