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Darwin in letters, 1868: Studying sex

Summary

The quantity of Darwin’s correspondence increased dramatically in 1868 due largely to his ever-widening research on human evolution and sexual selection.Darwin’s theory of sexual selection as applied to human descent led him to investigate aspects of the…

Matches: 23 hits

  • …   On 6 March 1868, Darwin wrote to the entomologist and accountant John Jenner Weir, ‘If …
  • … The quantity of his correspondence increased dramatically in 1868; the increase was due largely to …
  • … and his immediate circle of friends and relations. In July 1868 Darwin was still anticipating that …
  • … and not too much’ ( letter to Albert Günther, 15 May [1868] ). My book is horribly …
  • … as early as 1865, the two-volume work appeared in January 1868. A final delay caused by the indexing …
  • … look rather blank’ ( letter from W. S. Dallas, 8 January 1868 ). Darwin sympathised, replying on …
  • … fairly nauseated’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 February [1868] ). But such worries were laid to …
  • … was clearly impressed by Lewes’s reviews. On 7 August 1868 , he wrote him a lengthy letter from …
  • … not behind my back’ ( letter to John Murray, 25 February [1868] ). Wallace commiserated: ‘I am …
  • … to the paper’ ( letter from A. R. Wallace, 24 February [1868] ). The review was in fact by John …
  • … a veritable ass’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 1 September [1868] ). I am bothered with …
  • … Yorkshire, wrote of the colour of duck claws on 17 April 1868 . The letter was addressed to ‘the …
  • … Commons than any assembly in the world’ (from ?, 6 April 1868). On 21 May , Darwin complained to …
  • … breeder, who apologised in a letter of 11–13 May 1868 for his ‘voluminuous zeal’, and offered …
  • … changes in the canary (letters from J. J. Weir, [26] March 1868 and 3 June 1868 ). ‘It was …
  • … clear that I have none’ ( letter to J. J. Weir, 30 May [1868] ). Sexual selection …
  • … ratios was scanty, and he spent much of the first half of 1868 collecting facts on this question, …
  • … classes, a dim ray of light may be gained’ ( letter to H. T. Stainton, 21 February [1868] ). From …
  • … of the caudicle of  Ophrys muscifera  (letters from T. H. Farrer, 17 May 1868 and 18 May …
  • … sacrificed to Public life.’ Farrer replied: ‘You don’t know how kind I think your note. This …
  • … induced him to stay away ( letter from S. J. O’H. Horsman, 2 June [1868] ). But if Horsman …
  • … life time— I am preparing to go into opposition— I can’t stand it’. Diplomas and honorary …
  • … at the shrine of D r . Darwin’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 20 July 1868 ). Darwin received a …

Darwin in letters, 1879: Tracing roots

Summary

Darwin spent a considerable part of 1879 in the eighteenth century. His journey back in time started when he decided to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an essay on Erasmus’s evolutionary ideas…

Matches: 14 hits

  • an additional worry: the engagement of his son Horace to Ida Farrer, stepdaughter of Darwins niece
  • with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May [1879] ). On the
  • and well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and letter from
  • to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 5 June 1879 , and letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 ). Darwins
  • The other cloud on the horizon was Thomas Henry Farrers objection to the engagement between his
  • Hall, on several occasions. Horace had first approached Farrer to request Idas hand in marriage in
  • Ida must cease. Emma Darwin persuaded her husband to meet Farrer. ‘This proved most useful’, Emma
  • Darwin, [1 July 1879] (DAR 219.1: 123)). Darwin wrote to Farrer on 27 June to request ten
  • wait for three months. ‘Nothing can be more useless than T.Hs conduct’, Emma Darwin pointed out, …
  • to get home ‘& began drumming at once’ (Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [27 August 1879] (DAR
  • … & I may not be equal to the exertion’ ( letter to H. A. Pitman, [13 May 1879] ). In the end, …
  • because it dominated the picture (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [17 July 1879] (DAR
  • was that his contact at the Board of Trade was Thomas Farrer, who remained steadfast in his wish
  • agreed to their engagement being made public ( letter from T. H. Farrer, 12 October 1879 ). Darwin

Darwin in letters, 1869: Forward on all fronts

Summary

At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of  Origin. He may have resented the interruption to his work on sexual selection and human evolution, but he spent forty-six days on the task. Much of the…

Matches: 5 hits

  • …  vol. 16, letter to W. D. Fox, 12 December [1868] ). He may have resented the interruption to his …
  • … would no doubt do if we had proper data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter …
  • … on the German translation of  Variation  (Carus trans. 1868). The French translation proved …
  • … the French edition of  Variation  (Moulinié trans. 1868), and CD now extended his permission for …
  • … Scientific Opinion , launched towards the end of 1868, was one of several periodicals begun in …

Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life

Summary

1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time.  And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth.  All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…

Matches: 1 hits

  • … expressed in the pangenesis hypothesis, first published in 1868 ( Variation 2: 357–404). Others …

Darwin in letters, 1877: Flowers and honours

Summary

Ever since the publication of Expression, Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and early summer were spent completing Forms of flowers, his fifth book on a botanical topic. He then turned to the…

Matches: 3 hits

  • … and trimorphism that he had written between 1861 and 1868 and presented to the Linnean Society of …
  • … Charles Norton, had stayed at Keston Rectory near Down in 1868 and had visited Down House. Darwin …
  • … of a Roman villa near Thomas Farrar’s home in Surrey; and Farrer sent him a ‘worm journal’ with …