Responding to GG’s offer to aid CD’s natural history researches on New Zealand, CD suggests that limestone caverns should be examined for fossils and that observations on the presence and range of erratic boulders in New Zealand would be very valuable.
CL’s research on flint tools.
Promises to send proof-sheets of Origin. Discusses his view of species.
Ill health of himself and his family.
Evidence of glacial action in Australia. [See Origin, 4th ed., p. 443.]
Writes with an important fact about the parallel roads of Glen Roy. The watershed at Makoul corresponds with the lowermost of the Glen Roy lines. Over a stretch of 20 miles from east to west the lowermost of the Glen Roy lines is near parallel with the present sea level.
Jamieson has revisited Glen Roy and confirmed his theory of glacier lakes.
A. G. More considers CD the most profound of reasoners.
On ACR’s paper on glacial origin of lakes. CD thinks it is correct. Suggests further investigation to corroborate it. His only doubt has to do with areas of great activity.
On ACR’s view of cause of glacial period: CD did battle with Hooker on same point.
T. F. Jamieson has smashed CD’s Glen Roy marine theory in splendid style.
His better opinion [of work of Boucher de Perthes].
Explains his position on CL’s treatment of species.
Mentions positive response to his ideas on the part of a German professor [Ernst Haeckel], Alphonse de Candolle, and a botanical palaeontologist [Gaston de Saporta].
Notes negative reaction of entomologists.
Mentions Falconer’s objections [to Antiquity].
Mentions work of Hooker.
Comments on paper by Owen ["On the aye-aye", Rep. BAAS 32 (1862) pt 2: 114–16]
and CD’s review of Bates’s paper [Collected papers 2: 87–92].
Thinks Natural History Review is excellent.
JDH working on the New Zealand flora.
Jules Planchon excited about CD’s Linum experiments.
T. F. Jamieson’s paper on glaciers gives great pleasure.
Anxious to see Haast’s letter.
JDH’s views on Poles and Franco-Prussian conflict.
Remarks on ARW’s review of Samuel Haughton’s paper on bees’ cells
and Origin.
Agassiz’s strength as geologist and weakness in natural history theory.
Work problems.
His butterfly collection.
Problems with book on Malay journey.
Recommends Herbert Spencer and his Social statics.
Spencer’s "masterly" nebular hypothesis.
Darwin Correspondence Project
darwin@lib.cam.ac.uk
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