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Darwin Correspondence Project

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

Dallinger had sent CD a copy of his paper ‘On the life history of a minute septic organism: with an account of experiments made to determine its thermal death-point’ (Dallinger 1878; see letter from W. H. Dallinger, 29 June 1878).

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 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11587.xml

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