To Osbert Salvin 11 [May 1863]1
Down Bromley | Kent [Leith Hill Place]2
Monday 11th.
Dear Sir
Dr. Hooker has written to me to say that you would like to hear my opinion on the value of a collection made at the Galapagos.3 Perhaps you may have read my Journal; & if so, you will have observed that all the productions are singularly unattractive in appearance, & this, no doubt, renders this collection less interesting.4
But under a purely scientific point of view, I think it would be scarcely possible to exaggerate the interest of a good collection of every species rigorously kept separate from each island. It would throw much light on variation (& as I believe on the origin of Species) & on geographical distribution.5 No doubt many curious facts could be observed on the habits of the Birds & Reptiles. Probably there would be curious facts on the naturalisation & spreading of introduced plants & animals.—6 Some of the islands were only just visited by the Beagle, & these would be well worth exploring.7 The climate is perfectly healthy. The dismal scenery is like that of another world. I look back to my 6 weeks on these islands with extraordinary interest. But you must be prepared for mere amateurs in Natural History thinking little of any collection made there.
If you go, it would well deserve your attention to ascertain how the marine Amblyrhynchus breeds.8 Pray attend to presence of sea-borne seeds in drift on the beaches exposed to prevailing currents.9
with most cordial wishes for your success if you start, & with sincere respect for your zeal, pray believe me Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
‘Beagle’ diary: Charles Darwin’s Beagle diary. Edited by Richard Darwin Keynes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1988.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1978. Charles Darwin: a companion. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Journal of researches: Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by HMS Beagle, under the command of Captain FitzRoy, RN, from 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Henry Colburn. 1839.
Natural selection: Charles Darwin’s Natural selection: being the second part of his big species book written from 1856 to 1858. Edited by R. C. Stauffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1975.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Sulloway, Frank J. 1979. Geographic isolation in Darwin’s thinking: the vicissitudes of a crucial idea. In vol. 3 of Studies in history of biology, edited by William Coleman and Camille Limoges. Baltimore, Md., and London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Summary
At the suggestion of J. D. Hooker CD offers his opinion on the value of a proposed collection to be made at the Galápagos. The display would not be attractive or appealing to amateurs in natural history, but the scientific value of good collections of every species would be very great if those of each island are rigorously kept separate.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4153A
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Osbert Salvin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Sybil Rampen (private collection)
- Physical description
- ALS 5pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4153A,” accessed on 19 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4153A.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11