To Charles Lyell 23 November [1859]
Summary
Thanks CL for his decision to accept CD’s "doctrine of modification" [in Elements of geology, 6th ed. (1865)]. Believes it "morally impossible that investigators of truth, like you and Hooker, can be wholly wrong". Does not think CL’s decision will injure his works.
Thinks CL overrates importance of multiple origin of dogs.
Mentions sending copy of Origin to Herschel. Asks CL about Herschel’s reaction.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 23 Nov [1859] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.176) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2543 |
To Charles Lyell 24 [November 1859]
Summary
Sales of Origin.
Discusses revisions for second edition. Mentions possible French translation.
Views of Quatrefages [de Bréau].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 24 [Nov 1859] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.178) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2547 |
To Charles Lyell 25 [November 1859]
Summary
Discusses corrections for second edition [of Origin]. Will leave out the reference to whale and bear. Discusses pheasant crosses. Success of the book.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 25 [Nov 1859] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.179) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2552 |
To Charles Lyell [28 November 1859]
Summary
Asks how many kinds of supposed birds’ footprints were found in North American sandstone.
Making progress on second edition of Origin.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | [28 Nov 1859] |
| Classmark: | Sotheby’s (dealers) (6 July 1977) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2559 |
To Charles Lyell 29 [November 1859]
Summary
Encloses letter from Adam Sedgwick [2548].
Mentions conversion of A. C. Ramsay.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 29 [Nov 1859] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.180) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2560 |
From Charles Lyell 21 November 1859
Summary
Questions CD’s view in Origin that domestic dogs are not descended from a single stock. Occasional crossings of domestic stock with wild species could explain cases of reversion towards wild specific forms. CD’s views on hybridity do not then have to be contradicted in constructing an ancestral stock.
| Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 21 Nov 1859 |
| Classmark: | The University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections (Lyell collection Coll-203/A3/4: 195–7) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2540A |
From Charles Lyell [22 November 1859]
Summary
Comments on pp. 201, 211, and 218 [of Origin].
| Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [22 Nov 1859] |
| Classmark: | DAR 205.11: 139 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2551 |
| Lyell, Charles | (5) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (2) |
