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Darwin in letters, 1863: Quarrels at home, honours abroad

Summary

At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of animals and plants under domestication, anticipating with excitement the construction of a hothouse to accommodate his increasingly varied botanical experiments…

Matches: 27 hits

  • At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of  The variation of
  • markedly, reflecting a decline in his already weak health. Darwin then began punctuating letters
  • am languid & bedeviled … & hate everybody’. Although Darwin did continue his botanical
  • letter-writing dwindled considerably. The correspondence and Darwins scientific work diminished
  • of the water-cure. The treatment was not effective and Darwin remained ill for the rest of the year. …
  • the correspondence from the year. These letters illustrate Darwins preoccupation with the
  • to mans place in nature  both had a direct bearing on Darwins species theory and on the problem
  • detailed anatomical similarities between humans and apes, Darwin was full of praise. He especially
  • in expressing any judgment on Species or origin of man’. Darwins concern about the popular
  • Lyells and Huxleys books. Three years earlier Darwin had predicted that Lyells forthcoming
  • first half of 1863 focused attention even more closely on Darwins arguments for species change. …
  • … ‘groan’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). Darwin reiterated in a later letter that it
  • of creation, and the origin of species particularly, worried Darwin; he told Hooker that he had once
  • letter to J. D. Hooker, 24[–5] February [1863] ). Darwin did not relish telling Lyell of his
  • … ( letter to Charles Lyell, 6 March [1863] ). Nevertheless, Darwins regret was profound that the
  • thebrutes’, but added that he would bring many towards Darwin who would have rebelled against
  • from Charles Lyell, 11 March 1863 ). The botanist Asa Gray, Darwins friend in the United States, …
  • off ( see letter from Asa Gray, 20 April 1863 ). In May, Darwin responded to Gray that Lyells and
  • or   Modification, ’. Faction fighting Darwin was not alone in feeling disaffected
  • in the subject. ‘The worst of it is’, Hooker wrote to Darwin, ‘I suppose it is virtually Huxleys
  • that he had contributed to the proofs of human antiquity. Darwin and Hooker repeatedly exchanged
  • appeared in the  Natural History Review  in January, Darwin, who was already ill-disposed towards
  • January [1863] ). Archaeopteryx Falconer, Darwin, and others found an additional
  • of Owensslip-shod and hasty accountof the find, Darwin asked, ‘Has God demented Owen, as a
  • sentence from the second edition of  Antiquity of man  (C. Lyell 1863b, p. 469), published in
  • very slowly recovering, but am very weak’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, [29 September? 1863] ). …
  • Thomass Hospital, London ( letter from George Busk, [ c. 27 August 1863] ). Brinton, who

List of correspondents

Summary

Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. Click on a name to see the letters Darwin exchanged with that correspondent.    "A child of God" (1) Abberley,…

Matches: 3 hits

  • … Below is a list of Darwin's correspondents with the number of letters for each one. …
  • … (1) Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte …
  • … Dareste, Camille (9) Darwin family (1) …

Darwin’s reading notebooks

Summary

In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to read in Notebook C (Notebooks, pp. 319–28). In 1839, these lists were copied and continued in separate notebooks. The first of these reading notebooks (DAR 119…

Matches: 25 hits

  • In April 1838, Darwin began recording the titles of books he had read and the books he wished to
  • … (DAR 119) opens with five pages of text copied from Notebook C and carries on through 1851; the
  • used these notebooks extensively in dating and annotating Darwins letters; the full transcript
  • … *128). For clarity, the transcript does not record Darwins alterations. The spelling and
  • book had been consulted. Those cases where it appears that Darwin made a genuine deletion have been
  • a few instances, primarily in theBooks Readsections, Darwin recorded that a work had been
  • of the books listed in the other two notebooks. Sometimes Darwin recorded that an abstract of the
  • own. Soon after beginning his first reading notebook, Darwin began to separate the scientific
  • the second reading notebook. Readers primarily interested in Darwins scientific reading, therefore, …
  • editorsidentification of the book or article to which Darwin refers. A full list of these works is
  • page number (or numbers, as the case may be) on which Darwins entry is to be found. The
  • to be Read [DAR *119: Inside Front Cover] C. Darwin June 1 st . 1838
  • … [DAR *119: 2v.] Whites regular gradation in man [C. White 1799] Lindleys
  • 8 vo  p 181 [Latreille 1819]. see p. 17 Note Book C. for reference to authors about E. Indian
  • in brutes Blackwood June 1838 [J. F. Ferrie 1838]. H. C. Watson on Geog. distrib: of Brit: …
  • Wiegman has pub. German pamphlet on crossing oats &c [Wiegmann 1828] Horticultural
  • in Library of Hort. Soc. [DAR *119:5v.] M c .Neil 16  has written good article
  • on the Dog with illustrations of about 100 varieties [?C. H. Smith 183940] 24 Flourens
  • … [Lindley 1840]— Chapter on Races improvement of &c &c important I should think
  • variation by  Blaine .— & on coursingcock-fighting &c. Also Encyclop. of Agriculture by
  • … [Fellows 1839] Catherine 48 Life of Collins R.A. [Collins 1848] Phases of Faith
  • 1848Memoirs of the life of William   Collins, Esq., R.A.  2 vols. London.  *119: 23; 119: …
  • by Richard Owen.  Vol. 4 of  The works of John Hunter, F.R.S. with notes . Edited by James F. …
  • Robert. 1843Memoirs of the life of John   Constable, R.A., composed chiefly of his letters. …
  • Peacock, George. 1855Life of Thomas Young, M.D., F.R.S.  London.  *128: 172; 128: 21

Books on the Beagle

Summary

The Beagle was a sort of floating library.  Find out what Darwin and his shipmates read here.

Matches: 22 hits

  • from the unpublished zoological and geological notes in the Darwin Archive (DAR 2938), a brief
  • is of four kinds: There are volumes now in the Darwin Library in Cambridge that contain
  • notes made by CD during the voyage. They are in the Darwin Archive in the Cambridge University
  • and symbols are used: DAR  —  Darwin Archive CUL  —  Cambridge University
  • … , conveys the following information: CDs copy, now in Darwin LibaryCUL, was used on board. The
  • 1 of volume 32 of CDs geological diary (DAR 32.1) in the Darwin Archive. The copy in the Darwin
  • … . 2 vols. Strasbourg, 1819. (Inscription in vol. 1: ‘C. Darwin HMS Beagle’; DAR 32.1: 61). Darwin
  • 26, 27, 28 . London, 1831. (DAR 31.1: 276v.; 33: 253v.). Darwin LibraryCUL, 1832 Philadelphia
  • Zoologie . Paris, 181630. (DAR 30.1: 6, 12v.). Darwin LibraryCUL. § Blainville, Henri
  • 2 vols. Paris, 1828. (Inscription in vol. 2: ‘Charles Darwin Rio Plata Aug 7 th . 1832’). Darwin
  • … (Letter from J. S. Henslow, 1521 January [1833]). Darwin LibraryCUL. § Bougainville, Louis
  • Charles Whitley, 23 July 1834). ‘Philosophical tracts’, Darwin LibraryCUL. §  British
  • 2635. (DAR 35.2: 396). ‘Philosophical tracts’, Darwin LibraryCUL ††. ‡ Buch, Leopold von.  …
  • … . . . by Robert Jameson.  London, 1813. (DAR 30.2: 154). Darwin LibraryCUL. Bulkeley, John
  • 18224. ( Voyage , p. 182Red notebook , p. 86). Darwin LibraryDown †. Byron, George
  • ofEngland and Wales.  Pt 1. London, 1822. (DAR 35.1: 317). Darwin LibraryDown. Cook, James. …
  • Le règne animal.  4 vols. Paris, 1817. (DAR 30.1: 29v.). Darwin LibraryCUL, 2d edition, 5 vols., …
  • volcanoes . . .  London, 1826. (DAR 32.1: 23v., 26). Darwin LibraryDown. ‡ De la Beche, …
  • 1831. (DAR 32.1: 53). Desaulses de Freycinet, L. Csee  Freycinet, L. C. Desaulses de
  • la corvette . . .La Coquille 18225. Zoologie  par MM. [R. P.] Lesson et [P.] Garnot. 2 vols., …
  • … (Inscriptions: vol. 1 (1830), ‘Given me by Capt. F.R C. Darwin’; vol.2 (1832), ‘Charles Darwin M: …
  • concerning a future state . . . by a country pastor [R. W.].  London, 1829. (Letter from Caroline

Darwin’s student booklist

Summary

In October 1825 Charles Darwin and his older brother, Erasmus, went to study medicine in Edinburgh, where their father, Robert Waring Darwin, had trained as a doctor in the 1780’s. Erasmus had already graduated from Cambridge and was continuing his studies…

Matches: 17 hits

  • In October 1825 Charles Darwin and his older brother, Erasmus, went to study medicine in Edinburgh, …
  • London for further medical training (see letter from E. A. Darwin, [29 September 1826] ). However
  • of England. This list is difficult to date precisely. Darwin mentions reading  Granby  in a
  • The position of  Granby  on the list would suggest that Darwin was very busy reading in January
  • of chemistry in 1801. Other books illustrate Darwins wider scientific interests, and also
  • … , which was edited by David Brewster; and Robert Grant took Darwin to meetings of the Wernerian
  • university. There are several books of travel, and Darwin seems to have been particularly
  • arctic zoology. Two titles are closely connected with Darwins familyZoonomia  was
  • a week between March 1750 and March 1752. Both he and Dr Darwin had Lichfield connections, but the
  • Almacks ,  Granby  and Brambletye House.  Darwin wrote to his sister Susan on 29 January
  • … <Ni>tric Oxide?   (DAR 19: 34) Darwins student booklist - the text
  • Henry Chemistry 17  2 Vols 8 Vo Sewards memoirs of Darwin 18  1 Vol 8 Vo. Several
  • 3 Abernethy 1822. There is a lightly annotated copy in the Darwin LibraryCUL, bound with Abernethy
  • 14 Bostock 18247. Volume 1 is in the Darwin LibraryDown. 15 Jameson trans. 1827. There
  • 1826 as anentertaining book’ (see letter to S. E. Darwin, 29 January [1826] ). The letter from
  • younger sons. 17 Henry 1823. Volume 2 is in the Darwin LibraryCUL. 18 Seward
  • times to the year 2000 . (Revised edition.) Edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. …

Darwin in letters, 1856-1857: the 'Big Book'

Summary

In May 1856, Darwin began writing up his 'species sketch’ in earnest. During this period, his working life was completely dominated by the preparation of his 'Big Book', which was to be called Natural selection. Using letters are the main…

Matches: 28 hits

  • On 14 May 1856, Charles Darwin recorded in his journal that heBegan by Lyells advice  writing
  • more for the sake of priority than anything elseDarwin was reluctant to squeeze his expansive
  • Natural selection . Determined as he was to publish, Darwin nevertheless still felt cautious
  • specialist in Madeiran entomology, Thomas Vernon Wollaston. Darwin also came to rely on the caustic
  • in London. Natural Selection Not all of Darwins manuscript on species has been
  • of pigeons, poultry, and other domesticated animals. As Darwin explained to Lyell, his studies, …
  • can William Bernhard Tegetmeier continued to help Darwin acquire much of the material for
  • on domestic animals in India and elsewhere. William Darwin Fox supplied information about cats, dogs
  • mastiffs. The disparate facts were correlated and checked by Darwin, who adroitly used letters, …
  • can.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 8 February [1857] ). Darwin also attempted to test ideas
  • garden species with their wild congeners. Many of Darwins conclusions about the variation of
  • these chapters are not extant. It seems likely that Darwin used the manuscript when compiling  The
  • or lost during the process. Before the publication of Darwin's correspondence from these years, …
  • light on the role that these ideas were intended to play in Darwins formal exposition. …
  • selection could not act without varieties to act upon, Darwin wanted to know where, how, and in what
  • Making the fullest possible use of his botanical friends, Darwin cross-examined them on different
  • and conditions of existence? One useful example that Darwin intended to include in his book was the
  • relatives. But a last-minute check with Hooker revealed that Darwin was mistaken: ‘You have shaved
  • was wrong ( letter to John Lubbock, 14 July [1857] ). Darwin thought his results showed that
  • than relinquish the results achieved after so much effort, Darwin began the whole laborious project
  • Such perseverance is perhaps the key to this period in Darwins life. He brought the same quality of
  • This was the origin and function of sex in nature. Darwin had always been intrigued by the
  • must occasionally be cross-fertilised by other individuals. Darwin sought information on this
  • request led Huxley to make a note for future reference, ‘Darwin, an absolute & eternal
  • not give a categorical answer. Nor could the botanists that Darwin asked about plants whose flowers
  • George Bentham, and the Belfast botanist George Dickie. Darwins theoretical notions also encouraged
  • …  not a bird be killed (by hawk, lightning, apoplexy, hail &c) with seeds in crop, & it would
  • and the preparation of his manuscript ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 1 May 1857 ) seem innocuous and

Darwin in letters, 1864: Failing health

Summary

On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July 1864: ‘the venerable beard gives the look of your having suffered, and … of having grown older’.  Because of poor health, Because of poor health, Darwin…

Matches: 25 hits

  • On receiving a photograph from Charles Darwin, the American botanist Asa Gray wrote on 11 July
  • … … of having grown older’. This portrait, the first of Darwin with his now famous beard, had been
  • 52 hours without vomiting!! In the same month, Darwin began to consult William Jenner, …
  • prescribed a variety of antacids and purgatives, and limited Darwins fluid intake; this treatment
  • the dimorphic aquatic cut-grass  Leersia . In May, Darwin finished his paper on  Lythrum
  • he had set aside the previous summer. In October, Darwin let his friends know that on his
  • to the surgeon and naturalist Francis Trevelyan Buckland, Darwin described his symptoms in some
  • November and December were also marked by the award to Darwin of the Royal Societys Copley Medal; …
  • been unsuccessfully nominated the two previous years. As Darwin explained to his cousin William
  • it was conferred, brought a dramatic conclusion to the year. Darwin also wrote to Fox that he was
  • progressin Britain. Challenging convention Darwins concern about the acceptance of
  • …  vol. 11). In a letter of [27 January 1864] , Darwin wrote to Hooker: ‘The only approach to work
  • …  produce tendrils However, the queries that Darwin, describing himself asa broken-down
  • tendrils’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864] ). Darwins excitement about his
  • … ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 2 June [1864] ). When Darwin asked Oliver whether the tendrils of
  • for his teacherly tone, explaining that he had felt that Darwin had misunderstood some accepted
  • … ( letter from Daniel Oliver, [17 March 1864] ). Though Darwin replied with his typical humility
  • habits of climbing plants’ (‘Climbing plants’), which Darwin submitted to the Linnean Society in
  • was often the case, he was interested in transitional forms. Darwin came to think, for example, that
  • and tendril-bearers. At the end of his paper, Darwin used species from the genus  Lathyrus
  • the tendrils then revert to leaves, as in  L. nissolia . Darwin wrote (‘Climbing plants’, p. 115): …
  • In addition to his work on climbing plants, Darwin engaged in 1864 in botanical observations and
  • 5 September 1864 ). Fritz Müeller sent his bookFür Darwin , and Darwin had it translated by a
  • but Lyell says when I read his discussion in the Elements [C. Lyell 1865] I shall recant for fifth
  • on intellectual &ampmoral  qualities’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 28 [May 1864] ). …