To W. H. Dallinger 2 July 1878
I did not know that you were attending to the mutation of the lower organisms under changed conditions of life; and your results, I have no doubt, will be extremely curious and valuable.1 The fact which you mention about their being adapted to certain temperatures, but becoming gradually accustomed to much higher ones, is very remarkable. It explains the existence of algæ in hot springs. How extremely interesting an examination under high powers on the spot, of the mud of such springs would be.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Dallinger, William Henry. 1878. On the life-history of a minute septic organism: with an account of experiments made to determine its thermal death point. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 27: 332–50.
Summary
Has no doubt WHD’s experiments on mutation of lower organisms under changed conditions of life will be curious and valuable. The fact of their becoming accustomed to much higher temperatures than those to which they are adapted is very remarkable. It explains the existence of algae in hot springs.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11587
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Henry Dallinger
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- Dallinger 1887, p. 191
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11587,” accessed on 12 November 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11587.xml