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Darwin's in letters, 1873: Animal or vegetable?

Summary

Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost exclusively to his beloved plants. He resumed work on the digestive powers of sundews and Venus fly traps, and…

Matches: 18 hits

… evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of emotions, Darwin was able to devote 1873 almost …
… (1875) and Cross and self fertilisation (1876). Darwin’s son Francis became increasingly …
… career to become his father’s scientific secretary. Darwin had always relied on assistance from …
… the previous year. As was typical, readers wrote to Darwin personally to offer suggestions, …
… some of which were incorporated in a later edition. Darwin also contributed to discussions in the …
… in animals. The subject was brought closer to home by Francis Galton’s work on inherited talent, …
… Station at Naples. Plants that eat and feel? Darwin had resumed experiments on the …
… to have observed” ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873 ] ). Drosera was the main focus of …
… and alkaloids, and even electrical stimulation. On sending Darwin a specimen of the carnivorous …
… leaf & branch!” ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 12 January 1873 ). Darwin found that the …
… Poisons and electrocution . . . His son Francis was assisting the histologist Edward Emanuel …
… of medical research in London. On the advice of Klein, Francis obtained a new microscope for his …
… Darwin’s other main focus of botanical investigation in 1873 was cross- and self-fertilisation, work …
… & correlated” ( letter to T. H. Farrer, 14 August 1873 ). Darwin worried, however, that …
… when it will be ready” ( letter to John Murray, 4 May [1873 ] ). Keeping it in the family …
… notes and take tracings of their burrows” ( letter from Francis Darwin, 14 August [1873 ] ). …
… will be created” ( letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 ). Erasmus, who had studied medicine …
… [1873 ] ). Shortly afterwards, it was arranged for Francis to rent a house in the village (Down …

All Darwin's letters from 1873 go online for the anniversary of Origin

Summary

To celebrate the 158th anniversary of the publication of Origin of species on 24 November, the full transcripts and footnotes of over 500 letters from and to Charles Darwin in 1873 are now available online. Read about Darwin's life in 1873 through his…

Matches: 12 hits

… and footnotes of over 500 letters from and to Charles Darwin in 1873 are now available online. …
… father or an atheist. Here are some highlights from Darwin's correspondence in 1873: …
… in Drosera. ( Letter to J. D. Hooker, 23 October [1873] ) In 1873, Darwin continued …
… , published in 1875. Investigating the sundew's sensitivity, Darwin found that the glandular …
… to bend inward, so that the plant closed like a fist. Darwin was fascinated by this transmission of …
… 2 scientific secretaries work to do ( Letter to E. A. Darwin, 20 September 1873 ) As …
… When he jokingly mentioned his need for staff, his son Francis proposed that he give up his medical …
… of them sold! ( Letter to J. D. Hooker, 12 January [1873] ) Expression of the …
… appeared anonymously in the Edinburgh Review in April. Darwin asked one of his Scottish …
… brother. ( Letter to T. H. Huxley, 23 April 1873 ) Darwin wrote this to Thomas …
… some love of the new and marvellous ( Letter to Francis Galton, 28 May 1873 ) …
… investing money very well; very methodical in my habits.' Francis added to his father's …

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: 20 hits

… There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts …
… 27 of the print edition of The correspondence of Charles Darwin , published by Cambridge …
… to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an …
… the sensitivity of the tips. Despite this breakthrough, when Darwin first mentioned the book to his …
… 1879 ). He was also unsatisfied with his account of Erasmus Darwin, declaring, ‘My little biography …
… W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26] July [1879] ). From July, Darwin had an additional worry: the …
… that his grandfather had felt the same way. In 1792, Erasmus Darwin had written: ‘The worst thing I …
… contained a warmer note and the promise of future happiness: Darwin learned he was to be visited by …
… Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). Seventy years old Darwin’s seventieth birthday on 12 …
… the veteran of Modern Zoology’, but it was in Germany that Darwin was most fêted. A German …
… with Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel. Kosmos was, as Francis Darwin reported from Germany that …
… the children correctly’, mentioning in particular that Francis Galton was the son of one of Erasmus …
… to contradict false statements that had been published by Francis Galton’s aunt, Mary Anne …
… for Captain Robert FitzRoy on the Beagle voyage, Francis Beaufort of the Admiralty described the …
… and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert FitzRoy, 1 September …
… perplexed than ever about life of D r . D’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 12 July [1879] ). It was …
… in plants. Over the previous two years, he and his son Francis had worked together on the …
… of radicles, the embryonic roots of seedlings ( letter to Francis Darwin, 16 June [1879] ). …
… to continue experiments on the sensitivity of radicles. Francis experienced obstacles from the start …
… and after Farrer’s second marriage to Darwin’s niece in 1873 the Darwins had stayed at the Farrers’ …

Cross and self fertilisation

Summary

The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, published on 10 November 1876, was the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors…

Matches: 28 hits

… the result of a decade-long project to provide evidence for Darwin’s belief that ‘‘Nature thus tells …
… on plants with two or three different forms of flowers, Darwin had focused on the anatomical and …
… of different forms of pollen. Although many plants that Darwin observed had flowers with adaptations …
… rates, growth, and constitutional vigour. Although Darwin was no stranger to long months and years …
… … is highly remarkable’ In September 1866, Darwin announced to the American botanist …
… several years ( To Édouard Bornet, 1 December 1866 ). Darwin began a series of experiments, …
… ). It was only after a new season of experiments that Darwin would confirm that this poppy shed its …
… access to flowers was only the tip of the iceberg. Darwin next focused on the California …
… conditions’ ( From Fritz Müller, 1 December 1866 ). Darwin’s interest was piqued and he described …
… when self-fertilised, although fewer than crossed plants. Darwin sent some of these seeds to Müller, …
… [1868] ). Müller, in turn, sent seeds from his plants to Darwin and both men continued to …
… 5 December 1871 ). When Darwin began writing in February 1873 , he asked Hooker for names of …
… system to follow ( To J. D. Hooker, 17 February 1873 ). Despite also working on experiments with …
… with this & get it published’ ( To Asa Gray, 11 March [1873 ] ). In April 1873 , the …
… Translators, Reviewers, &c.’ ( To John Murray, 4 May [1873 ] ). In reply to his German …
… when it will be published’ ( To J. V. Carus, 8 May [1873 ] ). Hermann Müller also wrote from …
… my further working’ ( From Hermann Müller, 10 June 1873 ). Darwin, in turn, had found Müller’s …
… them by different routes’ ( To Hermann Müller, 30 May 1873 ). Although Darwin had completed a …
… must turn to the vegetable kingdom’ In June 1873 , Delpino informed Darwin that …
… to avoid crossing ( From Federico Delpino, 18 June 1873 ). Darwin was intrigued. ‘I am very glad …
… Bees’, he told Delpino ( To Federico Delpino, 25 June [1873 ] ). Darwin’s suspicion that sweet peas …
… 8 January 1876] ). It was his cousin, the statistician Francis Galton, who provided a statistical …
… to publish the report in the introduction to the book ( To Francis Galton, 13 January [1876] ). …
… 6 June 1876] ). The project proved to be too complex and Francis Darwin later recalled, ‘the …
… birth of Darwin’s first grandchild, a son born to Amy and Francis Darwin on 7 September, suddenly …
… if, as I expect, you find it too much for you’ ( To Francis Darwin, 16 September [1876] ). Francis …
… have accepted all, though some slightly modified’ ( To Francis Darwin, 20 September [1876] ). …
… ‘Your corrections are very good & very useful’ ( To Francis Darwin 25 September [1876] ). …

Francis Darwin

Summary

Known to his family as ‘Frank’, Charles Darwin’s seventh child himself became a distinguished scientist. He was an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge, initially studying mathematics, but then transferring to natural sciences. Francis completed…

Matches: 8 hits

… Known to his family as ‘Frank’, Charles Darwin’s seventh child himself became a distinguished …
… but then transferring to natural sciences. Francis completed his studies at Cambridge, …
… into debt and had kept the matter secret for some months. Darwin was very stern in his advice: ‘I …
… an old fellow as I daresay I appear to you’ (letter to Francis Darwin, 18 October [1870] ). …
… engaged to Amy Ruck in 1872; the couple married in 1874. Francis was already living in Down. and …
… a laboratory run by Julius von Sachs in Wurzburg. Francis Darwin was elected to the Royal …
… his father had not been knighted, although in 1877 Charles Darwin was awarded an honorary degree …
… ( The Power of Movement in Plants, 1880). Perhaps Francis Darwin, whom the family regarded as a …

Francis Galton

Summary

Galton was a naturalist, statistician, and evolutionary theorist. He was a second cousin of Darwin’s, having descended from his grandfather, Erasmus. Born in Birmingham in 1822, Galton studied medicine at King’s College, London, and also read mathematics…

Matches: 12 hits

… and evolutionary theorist. He was a second cousin of Darwin’s, having descended from his grandfather …
… a natural historical narrative of the journey (Galton 1853). Darwin enjoyed and admired Galton’s …
… Hereditary Genius (1869), which contained an entry on the Darwin family, including the “author of …
… for subjects of natural history”. Shortly after Darwin published his preliminary hypothesis …
… on rabbits to test the theory. He reported regularly to Darwin on these experiments, which involved …
… Royal Society claiming that his results tended to disprove Darwin’s theory (Galton 1871). This …
… 1871 ). His views on inheritance continued to diverge from Darwin’s, however. He studied cases of …
… Galton shared his views in several lengthy letters, but Darwin struggled with the abstract reasoning …
… including photography, anthropometry, and fingerprinting. In 1873 , he proposed founding a society to …
… and infirmities, with the aim of improving the population. Darwin was less optimistic about such a …
… difficult to judge on these latter heads” ( 4 January [1873 ] ). Like most of his contemporaries, …
… men of science: their nature and nurture (Galton 1874), Darwin insisted that he had no particular …

Darwin in letters, 1874: A turbulent year

Summary

The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working on second editions of Coral reefs and Descent of man; the rest of the year was mostly devoted to further research on insectivorous plants. A…

Matches: 23 hits

… 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early months working …
… dispute over an anonymous review that attacked the work of Darwin’s son George dominated the second …
… and traveller Alexander von Humboldt’s 105th birthday, Darwin obliged with a reflection on his debt …
… ). The death of a Cambridge friend, Albert Way, caused Darwin’s cousin, William Darwin Fox, to …
… from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ). Such reminiscences led Darwin to the self-assessment, ‘as for one …
… I feel very old & helpless The year started for Darwin with a week’s visit to …
… Andrew Clark, whom he had been consulting since August 1873 . Darwin had originally thought that …
… ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] ). Darwin mentioned his poor health so frequently in …
… 1874 ). Séances, psychics, and sceptics Darwin excused himself for reasons of …
… had suggested a new edition of the coral book in December 1873 , when he realised the difficulty a …
… vol. 21, letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 17 December [1873 ] ). Darwin himself had some trouble …
… had cost twenty-four shillings.) Murray’s partner, Robert Francis Cooke, informed Darwin that the …
… of human evolution and inheritance himself. In August 1873 , he had published in the Contemporary …
… (see G. B. Airy ed. 1881). Darwin’s third son Francis married Amy Ruck, the sister of a …
… work on insectivorous plants. Amy drew a plant and Francis was disappointed that they seemed not to …
… the use of the Down schoolroom as a winter reading room in 1873 (see Correspondence , vol. 21, …
… ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 July [1874] ). In 1873 , Hooker had begun a series of …
… from Cornwall, but Darwin was unwell when it arrived, so Francis worked on the tiny bladders under …
… 1874 , and Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Francis Darwin, [11 October 1873 ] ). …
… work’ ( letter to D. F. Nevill, 18 September [1874] ).Francis ’s new wife, Amy, drew the plant ( …
… After his wife read Expression , the military surgeon Francis François de Chaumont sent …
… Moulinié, who had died after a period of ill health in 1873 . Edmond Barbier corrected defects in …
… was a copy of Joseph Simms’s book on physiognomy (Simms 1873 ), which contained Darwin’s portrait to …

Women’s scientific participation

Summary

Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a community of women who participated, often actively and routinely, in the nineteenth-century scientific community. Here is a…

Matches: 18 hits

… | Editors and critics | Assistants Darwin’s correspondence helps bring to light a …
… community. Here is a selection of letters exchanged between Darwin and his workforce of women …
… Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August 1849] Darwin …
… peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to Darwin, [29 October …
… garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [6 June 1864] Darwin’s …
… . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to Darwin, [after February 1867] Mary Barber …
… Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, [1873 ] Ellen Lubbock, wife of naturalist …
… Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 July 1873 ] Mary Treat reports in detail on her …
… Darwin, [9 January 1871] Darwin’s brother-in-law, Francis , reports on the appearance and …
… Letter 8989 - Treat, M. to Darwin, [28 July 1873 ] Mary Treat provides a detailed …
… tells her eldest son, William, that her third eldest son, Francis , is receiving help with his plant …
… February 1857] Darwin’s nephew, Edmund, writes to Francis with the results of his …
… in his home. Letter 10517 - Darwin to Francis , F., [29 May 1876] Darwin …
… 9156 - Wallace, A. R . to Darwin, [19 November 1873 ] Wallace reassures Darwin that …
… 9157 - Darwin to Da rwin, G. H., [20 November 1873 ] Darwin offers the work of …
… Letter 8719 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 January 1873 ] Darwin gives Mary Treat close …
… 9157 - Darwin to Da rwin, G. H., [20 November 1873 ] Darwin offers the work of …
… Letter 10517 - Darwin t o Francis , F., [29 May 1876] Darwin gives his son, Francis …

Movement in Plants

Summary

The power of movement in plants, published on 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which the assistance of one of his children, Francis Darwin, is mentioned on the title page. The research for this…

Matches: 21 hits

… 7 November 1880, was the final large botanical work that Darwin wrote. It was the only work in which …
… about their research while he was away from home. Although Darwin lacked a state of the art research …
… research being pursued by other naturalists who, like Francis , had come to this centre for the study …
… methods and use the most advanced laboratory equipment. Darwin also benefitted from the instrument …
… copied but also improved on some of the apparatuses that Francis had been introduced to at Würzburg. …
… plant physiology, but it was at its core informed by Darwin’s theory of evolution, particularly by …
… early 1860s, at a time when his health was especially bad, Darwin had taken up the study of climbing …
… reproduced as a small book, giving it a much wider audience. Darwin was not the first naturalist to …
… from correspondents in response to the work, and by 1873 began preparing a second edition, which …
… about the nature of movement, so much so, that at one point Darwin had considered combining the …
… digestive processes. With his final great botanical work, Darwin would attempt ‘ to bring all the …
… from all over Europe and beyond. When Darwin’s son Francis worked in this laboratory in the summers …
… because Darwin never published on bloom. In August 1873 , while on holiday in Southampton at the home …
… by bloom, but his main preoccupation in the summer of 1873 was his experimental work on …
… had also asked Horace to discuss the point with his friend Francis Balfour(258). Darwin promised to …
… themselves from the injurious effects of water. By November 1873 , he was already devising …
… of any success. '. Just two months later, Darwin put Francis in charge of this aspect of the …
… more familiar with the research in Sachs’s laboratory as Francis ’s departure for Würzburg was …
… to Wurzburg, & work by myself will be dull work’ . Francis was in Würzburg until early August. …
… good instruments were never far from Darwin’s thinking. Francis viewed the new instruments he was …
… design an improved version of the instrument, a klinostat; Francis later described and illustrated …

Language: key letters

Summary

How and why language evolved bears on larger questions about the evolution of the human species, and the relationship between man and animals. Darwin presented his views on the development of human speech from animal sounds in The Descent of Man (1871),…

Matches: 13 hits

… human species, and the relationship between man and animals. Darwin presented his views on the …
… he first began to reflect on the transmutation of species. Darwin’s correspondence reveals the scope …
… he exchanged information and ideas. Letter 346: Darwin, C. R. to Darwin, C. S., 27 Feb 1837 …
… one stock.” Letter 2070: Wedgwood, Hensleigh to Darwin, C. R., [before 29 Sept 1857] …
… down of former continents.” Letter 3054: Darwin, C. R. to Lyell, Charles, 2 Feb [1861] …
… that languages, like species, were separately created. Darwin writes to the geologist Charles Lyell …
… I tell him is perfectly logical.” Letter 5605: Darwin, C. R. to Müller, J. F. T., 15 Aug …
… loud noise?” Letter 7040: Wedgwood, Hensleigh to Darwin, C. R., [1868-70?] As …
… gradually growing to such a stage” Letter 8367: Darwin, C. R. to Wright, Chauncey, 3 June …
… unconsciously altering the breed. Letter 8962: Darwin, C. R. to Max Müller, Friedrich, 3 …
… Letter 10194: Max Müller, Friedrich to Darwin, C. R., 13 Oct [1875] For Müller, human and …
… Language […]” Letter 9887: Dawkins, W. B. to Darwin, C. R., 14 Mar 1875 The …
… of race […]” Letter 11074: Sayce, A. H. to Darwin, C. R., 27 July 1877 Darwin’s …

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: 27 hits

… Ever since the publication of Expression , Darwin’s research had centred firmly on botany. The …
… of these projects would culminate in a major publication. Darwin’s botany was increasingly a …
… assisted his father’s research on movement and bloom, and Darwin in turn encouraged his son’s own …
… The year 1877 was more than usually full of honours. Darwin received two elaborate photograph albums …
… from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Closer to home, Darwin received an honorary Doctorate of …
… sites for possible earthworm activity. Now in his 69th year, Darwin remained remarkably productive, …
… no controversy. In his autobiographical reflections, Darwin remarked: ‘no little discovery of …
… (‘Recollections’, p. 419). During the winter and spring, Darwin was busy preparing the manuscript of …
… and presented to the Linnean Society of London. In the book, Darwin adopted the more recent term …
… as dimorphic without comparing pollen-grains & stigmas’, Darwin remarked to Joseph Dalton …
… measurements of the size and number of pollen-grains, Darwin compared the fertility of individual …
… primrose and purple loosestrife. In the course of his work, Darwin found a number of other …
… dreadful work making out anything about dried flowers’, Darwin complained to Asa Gray on 8 March …
… which include heterstyled species. This pleases me.’. Darwin dedicated the book to Gray, ‘as a small …
… separate publications together into a larger whole enabled Darwin to advance more speculative views …
… little understood. Darwin had begun studying bloom in August 1873 , but had broken off to concentrate …
… In the end, Darwin did not publish on the subject, but Francis later reported some of the results of …
… 25 August 1877 ). At Down House, Darwin and Francis devised a method of recording leaf …
… with thread, card, and bits of glass. Encouraging Francis Darwin greatly enjoyed …
… eminent German botanist Ferdinand Julius Cohn, who confirmed Francis ’s observations: ‘the most …
… Infusoria’ ( letter from F. J. Cohn, 5 August 1877 ). Francis ’s paper eventually appeared in the …
… had visited Down House and become friendly with George and Francis . He wrote to Francis on 24 …
… ‘As for “natural selection”’, he wrote to Francis on 25 November , ‘frankly to me it now seems a …
… for he began to receive petitions from strangers. The writer Francis Lloyd, who was in poor health …
… for his further work. Lloyd had written a critique of Francis Galton’s theory of heredity in 1876, …
… will allow me to send you a cheque for £10’ ( letter to [Francis Lloyd], 1 May [1877] ). Another …
… In the end, Darwin made the journey along with Emma. George, Francis , and Horace also attended. The …

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

Summary

George Eliot was the pen name of celebrated Victorian novelist Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880). She was born on the outskirts of Nuneaton in Warwickshire and was educated at boarding schools from the age of five until she was 16. Her education ended when she…

Matches: 4 hits

… novels, under her pen name, achieved great acclaim. Darwin and his family were keen readers …
… Sunday afternoons, when they received visitors (23 March 1873 ; Emma described his visit in a letter …
… younger daughter, Bessy, did call on a Saturday in October 1873 but the Leweses were away. As a …
… started ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 January [1874] ). Darwin took Emma to a Sunday afternoon at …

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: 28 hits

… At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of …
… appeared at the end of 1866 and had told his cousin William Darwin Fox, ‘My work will have to stop a …
… material on emotional expression. Yet the scope of Darwin’s interests remained extremely broad, and …
… plants, and earthworms, subjects that had exercised Darwin for decades, and that would continue to …
… Carl von Nägeli and perfectibility Darwin’s most substantial addition to Origin was a …
… a Swiss botanist and professor at Munich (Nägeli 1865). Darwin had considered Nägeli’s paper …
… principal engine of change in the development of species. Darwin correctly assessed Nägeli’s theory …
… in most morphological features (Nägeli 1865, p. 29). Darwin sent a manuscript of his response (now …
… are & must be morphological’. The comment highlights Darwin’s apparent confusion about Nägeli’s …
… ‘purely morphological’. The modern reader may well share Darwin’s uncertainty, but Nägeli evidently …
… pp. 28–9). In further letters, Hooker tried to provide Darwin with botanical examples he could use …
… problems of heredity Another important criticism that Darwin sought to address in the fifth …
… prevailing theory of blending inheritance that Jenkin and Darwin both shared, would tend to be lost …
… ( Origin 5th ed., pp. 103–4). The terminology that Darwin and others employed in these matters ( …
… ‘I must have expressed myself atrociously’, Darwin wrote to Alfred Russel Wallace on 2 February , …
… of Origin was the result of correspondence between Darwin and the geologist James Croll. In the …
… but it was his theory of alternate ice ages that piqued Darwin’s interest the most. He wrote, ‘this …
… ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin had argued ( Origin , pp. 377–8) that plant …
… would always exist. In Origin 5th ed., pp. 450–61, Darwin accounted for the survival of tropical …
… James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Croll could not supply Darwin with an estimate of the age of the …
… ( letter from James Croll, 4 February 1869 ). Darwin did not directly challenge Thomson’s …
… 19 March [1869] ). Towards Descent Once Darwin had completed revisions of the …
… incorporating his latest revisions (Moulinié trans. 1873 ). Reinwald and Moulinié had been engaged …
… of concern were received for months afterwards. Francis Galton: Hereditary genius and …
… Emma read aloud from a new book by Darwin’s half-cousin, Francis Galton. The work, Hereditary …
… is an eminently important difference’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 23 December [1869] ). …
… of inheritance through experiments on rabbits ( letter from Francis Galton, 11 December 1869 ). …
… the first to give me freedom of thought’ ( letter from Francis Galton, 24 December 1869 ). …

Darwin in letters, 1875: Pulling strings

Summary

‘I am getting sick of insectivorous plants’, Darwin confessed in January 1875. He had worked on the subject intermittently since 1859, and had been steadily engaged on a book manuscript for nine months; January also saw the conclusion of a bitter dispute…

Matches: 26 hits

… Editions Plants always held an important place in Darwin’s theorising about species, and …
… his periods of severe illness. Yet on 15 January 1875 , Darwin confessed to his close friend …
… way to continuous writing and revision, activities that Darwin found less gratifying: ‘I am slaving …
… bad.’ The process was compounded by the fact that Darwin was also revising another manuscript …
… coloured stamens.’ At intervals during the year, Darwin was diverted from the onerous task of …
… zoologist St George Jackson Mivart. In April and early May, Darwin was occupied with a heated …
… chapter of the controversy involved a slanderous attack upon Darwin’s son George, in an anonymous …
… on 12 January , breaking off all future communication. Darwin had been supported during the affair …
… Society of London, and a secretary of the Linnean Society, Darwin’s friends had to find ways of …
… pp. 16–17). ‘How grandly you have defended me’, Darwin wrote on 6 January , ‘You have also …
… in public. ‘Without cutting him direct’, he advised Darwin on 7 January , ‘I should avoid him, …
… & again’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 16 January 1875 ). Darwin had also considered taking up …
… , ‘I feel now like a pure forgiving Christian!’ Darwin’s ire was not fully spent, however, …
… in the same Quarterly article that attacked George. Darwin raised the matter at the end of the …
… to rest, another controversy was brewing. In December 1874, Darwin had been asked to sign a memorial …
… Hensleigh and Frances Wedgwood. She had corresponded with Darwin about the evolution of the moral …
… Darwin had become acquainted with Klein when his son Francis was studying medicine in London. Klein …
… performed on animals in previous years by Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton. These had been …
… manuscripts and proofs, Darwin now relied heavily on his son Francis , who had made the decision in …
… wrote, ‘I beg ten thousand pardon & more’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [ c . February 1875?] …
… plants , and moved on to Variation 2d ed., Francis signed himself, ‘Your affect son … the …
… and the local vicar George Sketchley Ffinden resurfaced. In 1873 , Charles and Emma Darwin and the …
… 219.1: 89). The most eminent of Darwin’s guests was Francis , duke of Teck, a German prince …
… Darwin could not keep up, and on 22 July , he had Francis reply: ‘My Father desires me to say …
… on the digestive properties of Nepenthes since 1873 . ‘You are aware that Dr Hooker has worked …
… on 2 December, the same meeting at which Romanes and Francis Darwin were made fellows. But Thiselton …

Dining at Down House

Summary

Sources|Discussion Questions|Experiment Dining, Digestion, and Darwin's Domestic Life While Darwin is best remembered for his scientific accomplishments, he greatly valued and was strongly influenced by his domestic life. Darwin's…

Matches: 15 hits

… Questions | Experiment Dining, Digestion, and Darwin's Domestic Life …
… chance for what share of happiness this world affords." ( Darwin to H.W. Bates , 26 …
… and they partook in his scientific endeavours. One of Darwin's defining characteristics …
… through his correspondence. Letters written to and from Darwin, as well as those exchanged between …
… provides into the bright and engaging personalities of the Darwin children and of family life in the …
… SOURCES Book Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species . 1859. London: John …
… Dining at Down House Letter 259 —Charles Darwin to Caroline Darwin, 13 October …
… South American cities, cultures, geography, flora and fauna) Darwin complains to his sister Caroline …
… while ill. Letter 465 —Emma Wedgwood (Emma Darwin) to Charles Darwin, [30 December 1838] …
… agreeable” for her sake. Letter 3626 —Emma Darwin to T. G. Appleton, 28 June [1862] …
… behalf to his American publisher, T. G. Appleton. Darwin, who is too ill to write himself, wishes to …
… cod liver oil and moderate work, among other things, for Darwin’s complaints. Emma Darwin …
… suffers a bout of “rocking & giddiness”. Emma Darwin to Henrietta Darwin, [5 September …
… luncheon fare. Letter 8296 —Darwin to Francis Galton, 21 April [1872] In this …
… Emma Darwin to Henrietta Darwin, [4 December 1873 ] Here Emma describes Darwin’s difficulties …

Women as a scientific audience

Summary

Target audience? | Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those exchanged with his editors and publisher, reveal a lot about his intended audience. Regardless of whether or not women were deliberately targeted as a…

Matches: 7 hits

… Female readership | Reading Variation Darwin's letters, in particular those …
… a broad variety of women had access to, and engaged with, Darwin's published works. A set of …
… women a target audience? Letter 2447 - Darwin to Murray, J., [5 April 1859] …
… that his views are original and will appeal to the public. Darwin asks Murray to forward the …
… and criticisms of style. Letter 2461 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] …
… typically-male readers. Letter 7124 - Darwin to Darwin, H. E., [8 February 1870] …
… - Forster, L. M . to Darwin, H. E., [20 February 1873] Henrietta’s friend, Laura, …

Referencing women’s work

Summary

Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, but whether and how they were acknowledged in print involved complex considerations of social standing, professional standing, and personal preference.…

Matches: 16 hits

… Darwin's correspondence shows that women made significant contributions to Darwin's work, …
… set of selected letters is followed by letters relating to Darwin's 1881 publication …
… throughout Variation . Letter 2395 - Darwin to Holland, Miss, [April 1860] …
… anonymised and masculinised. Letter 3316 - Darwin to Nevill, D. F., [12 November …
… Nevill is referenced by name for her “kindness” in Darwin’s Fertilisation of Orchids . …
… critic. Letter 4370 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [April - May 1865] Darwin …
… as “friends in Surrey”. Letter 4794 - Darwin to Lyell, C., [25 March 1865] …
… B”. Letter 7060 - Wedgwood, F. J. to Darwin, [1867 - 72] Darwin’s …
… in the final publication. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., [9 June 1867 - …
… in Expression . Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. H., [30 January 1868 …
… baby in Mary Barton. Letter 8321 - Darwin to Litchfield, H. E., [13 May …
… at him. Letter 7345 - Wedgwood, L. C. to Darwin, [15 June 1872] Darwin’s …
… I can implicitly rely”. Letter 8427 - Darwin to Litchfield H. E., [25 July 1872] …
… Letter 8719 - Darwin to Treat, M., [1 January 1873 ] Darwin asks naturalist Mary Treat …
… Darwin, [4 January 1871] Darwin’s brother-in-law, Francis Wedgwood, sends the results of …
… [1 November 1877] Darwin asks his sons, Horace and Francis , to observe earthworm activity …

Animals, ethics, and the progress of science

Summary

Darwin’s view on the kinship between humans and animals had important ethical implications. In Descent, he argued that some animals exhibited moral behaviour and had evolved mental powers analogous to conscience. He gave examples of cooperation, even…

Matches: 23 hits

… Darwin’s view on the kinship between humans and animals had important ethical …
… a live worm on a hook (‘Recollections’, pp. 358, 388). Darwin’s concern for animals aligned with …
… and an integral part of medical and veterinary training. Darwin was clearly disturbed by the …
… to E. R. Lankester, 22 March [1871] ). In Descent , Darwin described an animal enduring a …
… to the last hour of his life’ ( Descent 1: 40). Darwin’s closest encounter with …
… of different breeds together. Galton reported regularly to Darwin on the results (all negative). He …
… Society, calling into question the theory of pangenesis. Darwin was taken aback, and swiftly replied …
… no longer look after the rabbits (many died from the cold), Darwin offered to give the poor …
… further cross-circulation and ‘Siamesing’ ( letter from Francis Galton, 13 September 1871 ). …
… more influenced by experiments on animals than on plants’, Darwin conceded. ‘I think a large number …
… ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 July 1875 ). Darwin was concerned that the method be painless, …
… 1874 ). In the previous sections, we have traced Darwin’s growing interest in physiology and …
… were analogous to those performed on dogs and other animals. Darwin’s work on insectivorous plants …
… handbook for the physiological laboratory (Klein et al. 1873 ), a two volume work designed for …
… an acquaintance of the Darwins, and had corresponded with Darwin cordially about his moral theory, …
… ( letter to F. B. Cobbe, [14 January 1875] ). Darwin’s involvement in the vivisection …
… in regard to health &c, I look at as puerile. Darwin saw a need for regulation (licensing …
… with costly equipment, a supply of animals, etc.. Darwin was concerned that ‘private men’ would be …
… ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January [1875] ) Darwin worked closely with Burdon …
… the total abolition of the practice. ‘It seems to me’, Darwin remarked to George Romanes, ‘that …
… organised defence. To bring more solidarity to the field, Darwin’s son Francis , and a number of his …
… ( letter from T. L. Brunton, 12 February 1882 ). Darwin declined the offer to be honorary …
… had its first meeting on 20 April 1882, the day after Darwin’s death. While Darwin was …

Fake Darwin: myths and misconceptions

Summary

Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive ones, with full debunking below...

Matches: 1 hits

… Many myths have persisted about Darwin's life and work. Here are a few of the more pervasive …

Darwin’s queries on expression

Summary

When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations more widely and composed a list of queries on human expression. A number of handwritten copies were sent out in 1867 (see, for example, letter to Fritz Muller…

Matches: 19 hits

… When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect …
… ease of distribution sometime in late 1867 or early 1868. Darwin went over his questions, refining …
… was the collection of observations on a global scale. Darwin was especially interested in peoples …
… cultural and conventional, or instinctive and universal. Darwin used his existing correspondence …
… and with the mouth a little drawn back at the corners?” Darwin’s questionnaire was an extension of …
… was also carefully devised so as to prevent the feelings of Darwin’s remote observers from colouring …
… and not the susceptibilities of a moral nature.” Darwin did not typically countenance such …
… the collection of information to its display in print. After Darwin received all of the replies to …
… except “yes” or “no.” “The same state of mind” Darwin would later assert in Expression of the …
… uniformity.” Table of Correspondence about Darwin’s Questionnaire (click on the letter …
… could available online ahead of schedule as part of the “Darwin and Human Nature” project, funded by …
… Southampton, England letter to W.E. Darwin shrugging/pouting of …
… blushing Darwin, Francis 20 June 1867 …
… Bartlett and S. Sutton Darwin, Francis …
… pouting Darwin, W.E. [after 29 March 1868] …
… blushing in blind students Darwin, W.E. [7 …
… blushing Darwin, W.E. [22? April 1868] …
… from Mansel Weale Galton, Francis 7 Nov …
… Weale, J.P.M. [Jan 1873 ] Bedford, Cape of Good Hope, …

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Darwin Correspondence Project

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