From Francis Boott 22 December [1862]1
24 Gower St.
Dec 22.
My Dear Darwin
I have just recd the enclosed from Gray, who in alluding to the War tells me they have no idea of giving up. tho’ the state of their finance I think must suggest the necessity of it sooner or later.2 I have just recd a bill at the exchange of 146—3
I have never thanked you for your work on the Orchidiæ—which I read with wonder & admiration.4 It confirms my faith that White of Selborne bequeathes his mantle to you—5
I do not know whether Dear Henslow saw your sagacious interpretation, but I am quite sure that it adds to the joys which he & White & Linneus have in Heaven, for I cannot believe such pure spirits have ceased to exist,6
I hope you are well | Yrs sincerely | F. Boott
C. Darwin Esqre
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
DAB: Dictionary of American biography. Under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. 20 vols., index, and 10 supplements. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons; Simon & Schuster Macmillan. London: Oxford University Press; Humphrey Milford. 1928–95.
DNB: Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1912. Dictionary of national biography 1912–90. Edited by H. W. C. Davis et al. 9 vols. London: Oxford University Press. 1927–96.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
White, Gilbert. 1789. The natural history and antiquities of Selborne, in the county of Southampton. 2 vols. London.
White, Gilbert. 1825. The natural history of Selborne. New edition. 2 vols. London: C. an J. Rivington [and others].
Summary
Has had news from Asa Gray about Civil War.
Belatedly thanks CD for Orchids, which shows CD to be the successor to Gilbert White.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3873
- From
- Francis Boott
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Gower St, 24
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 251
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3873,” accessed on 19 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3873.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10