To Charles Lyell 30 July 1837
Summary
Galapagos land birds and reptiles.
No two naturalists agree on any fundamental idea [of species]. "Everything is arbitrary."
Has been with Richard Owen going over the S. American fossils.
Has worked out the non-relation between animals’ bulk and luxuriance of vegetation.
The horse once common on the Pampas. The mystery of the extinction of these animals.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 30 July 1837 |
Classmark: | The University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections (Lyell Collection Coll-203/A1/69: 140–2) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-367 |
To Charles Lyell [19 December 1837]
Summary
Responds to Lyell’s query [missing] about northern and southern limits of coral islands of the Pacific. Warns that coral islands are much more thinly distributed than people realise and cites examples. Comments on views of Matthew Flinders. Reading work of É[lie] de B[eaumont]. Notes difficulty of setting an east-west boundary to coral islands.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [19 Dec 1837] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.9) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-394 |