From Asa Gray 29 December 1862
Summary
Encloses maize seeds.
Has heard of a butterfly with pollinia of Platanthera stuck to it.
Comments on AG’s notes ["Dimorphism in the genitalia of flowers", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 149–50].
"Precocious fertilisation".
| Author: | Asa Gray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 29 Dec 1862 |
| Classmark: | DAR 109: 85, DAR 165: 126 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3882 |
From Asa Gray 21 July 1863
Summary
Gives some observations on Drosera.
Comments on Richard Owen’s "transmutation theory" in his aye-aye paper [Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 5 (1866): 33–101].
| Author: | Asa Gray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 21 July 1863 |
| Classmark: | DAR 165: 128, 138 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4248 |
To Asa Gray 31 May [1863]
Summary
AG’s review of Alphonse de Candolle’s paper [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 35 (1863): 430–44] is excellent.
Does not AG consider that orchids oppose Oswald Heer’s view that species arise suddenly by monstrosities?
Infers that AG cannot explain the angles of phyllotaxy; has been looking at Carl Nägeli on the subject.
Reports Gaston de Saporta’s belief that natural selection will ultimately triumph in France.
Is working slowly at Variation.
Reports his observations on the imperfect flowers of Viola and Oxalis.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 31 May [1863] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (84) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4196 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … 10, and 29 May [1863] and n. 12, and letter from Asa Gray, 26 May 1863 and nn. 24 and …
- … 12 April [1863] , and experimental notes in DAR 111: 46 and DAR 109: B6). CD initially believed the ‘perfect flowers’ of the species to be heterostyled and hence adapted to cross-pollination by insects, but later concluded that the species was homostyled (see Forms of flowers , p. 182). CD’s observations on Viola were published in Forms of flowers , pp. 315–21 and 336. CD had been experimenting on ‘imperfect’ (cleistogamic) flowers of Oxalis and Viola since 1862; he summarised his provisional conclusions on their function in the letter to Asa Gray, 26[– …
From Asa Gray 23 November 1863
Summary
CD’s poor health.
Agassiz’s attempt to do away with Darwinism.
| Author: | Asa Gray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 Nov 1863 |
| Classmark: | DAR 165: 141 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4346 |
To Asa Gray 20 March [1863]
Summary
Discusses the meaning of C. K. Sprengel’s term "dichogamy". Dichogamous plants are functionally monoecious; Primula is functionally dioecious.
Reports Hermann Crüger’s observations of Cattleya and of bees pollinating Catasetum. Crüger will observe Melastomataceae.
Has built a hothouse.
Fears Amsinckia cannot be dimorphic.
Ill health slows his work on Variation.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 20 Mar [1863] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (58) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4053 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … 12 January [1863] , and letter from H. W. Bates, 17 January [1863] ). Bates’s account of his eleven years as a naturalist in the Amazon region of South America ( Bates 1863 ) was published between 1 and 14 April 1863 ( Publishers’ Circular 26 ( …
- … 26 June [1863] , and Forms of flowers , p. 125). CD had been suffering ill health since the end of February (see, for example, letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863] ). Horace Darwin had been ill for much of 1862 (see letter from G. V. Reed, 12 …
To Asa Gray 19 April [1865]
Summary
Congratulates AG on the "grand news of Richmond".
Still interested in dimorphism and would welcome new cases.
Working on Variation
and correcting proofs of Climbing plants.
Would like seed of AG’s dimorphic Plantago.
Cannot understand how the wind could fertilise reciprocally dimorphic flowers.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 19 Apr [1865] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (77) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4467 |
To Asa Gray 20 April [1863]
Summary
Fears England and U. S. will drift into war; he and AG must "keep to Science".
Thanks for facts on Incas; regrets he has always avoided the case of man.
Has sent his Linum paper [Collected papers 2: 93–105].
Is it true that Ohio has legislated against marriage of cousins?
Can AG explain the invariable angles in phyllotaxy; are they the consequence of packing in the early bud?
Owen’s comments on heterogeny in the Athenæum [28 Mar 1863] have vexed W. B. Carpenter; CD has replied [Collected papers 2: 78–80].
Hopes AG will observe Gymnadenia; John Scott has been experimenting on its fertilisation.
Gives his observation on pollination of Cypripedium.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 20 Apr [1863] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (51) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4110 |
From Asa Gray 11 July 1864
Summary
Discusses CD’s and Mrs Gray’s health.
Comments on some climbing plants.
Praises Wallace’s article applying natural selection to man ["The origin of human races", J. Anthropol. Soc. Lond. 2 (1864): clviii–clxxxvi].
Discusses the reported sterility of the flowers of Voandzeia and Amphicarpaea.
Feels the ending of slavery is worth the cost of the Civil War.
| Author: | Asa Gray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 11 July 1864 |
| Classmark: | DAR 165: 143, DAR 111: A82 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4558 |
To Asa Gray 16 October [1862]
Summary
Lythrum salicaria is coming out clear.
Would be glad of Nesaea seed.
Is disappointed with Melastoma, but is sure there is something curious to be made out.
His experiments with poisons on Drosera lead him to conclude that it possesses something analogous to nervous matter.
Comments on natural hybrids of Verbascum.
Deplores the Civil War and the feelings it has fostered in Britain.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 16 Oct [1862] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (81) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3766 |
To Asa Gray 19 October [1865]
Summary
AG’s article on climbing plants [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 40 (1865): 273–82] is admirable and complimentary.
Reports Fritz Müller’s observations on climbers.
Experiments on dimorphism with Mitchella and Pulmonaria.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 19 Oct [1865] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (93) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4919 |
To Asa Gray 3 June [1874]
Summary
CD is deeply pleased by AG’s article on him in Nature [10 (1874): 79–81].
Is preparing book on "Drosera and Co." for the printers. Reports observations on digestion in Drosera and Pinguicula.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 3 June [1874] |
| Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (103) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9480 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 26–9; it is reproduced as the frontispiece. Gray’s article ‘Insectivorous plants’ in Nation ( [A. Gray] 1874a ) was reprinted in two parts as ‘Do plants eat insects? ’ in the Gardeners’ Chronicle , 2 May 1874 and 9 May 1874 ( [A. Gray] 1874b ); Gray was identified as the author by his initials only in the second part. See letter from Asa Gray, 12 …
To Asa Gray 16 April [1866]
Summary
AG’s second article on Climbing plants [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 41 (1866): 125–30].
Fritz Müller’s observations on Rubiaceae.
New edition [4th] of Origin.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 16 Apr [1866] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (96) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5057 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 12, and Correspondence vol. 13, letter to J. D. Hooker, 27 [or 28 September 1865] ). According to Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242), she came down with influenza on 9 April. CD had contracted influenza the previous day, having gone to bed with a cold on 6 April. By 14 April, CD had recovered. Joseph Dalton Hooker had visited Down from 24 to 26 …
To Asa Gray 17 September [1861]
Summary
U. S. politics and relations with England.
Wants examples of dimorphism similar to Primula.
Structure and function of Spiranthes flower.
Observations and experiments on Drosera.
CD’s views on design.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 17 Sept [1861] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (72) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3256 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 12. CD was an avid reader of the ‘Foreign intelligence’ columns of The Times , which carried regular reports on the political and military developments in the United States. The special correspondent covering the American Civil War for The Times was William Howard Russell . CD also refers to Frederick Law Olmsted , whose books describing conditions in the southern slave states ( Olmsted 1856 , 1857, and 1860) CD had read. See Correspondence vol. 4, Appendix IV, 128: 23, 25; and vol. 8, letter to Asa Gray, 26 …
To Asa Gray 1 July [1862]
Summary
Thanks for notes on Cypripedium and Platanthera hookeri, which is really beautiful and quite a new case.
His son, George, has been observing the insect fertilisation of orchids.
CD has been crossing peloric flowers of Pelargonium, but doubts he will get good results with respect to sterility of hybrids.
Rhexia glandulosa does not appear to be dimorphic. Lythrum is trimorphic.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 1 July [1862] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (69) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3634 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 12–13; see also letter to Daniel Oliver, 8 June [1862] ); in 1861 he had attempted to encourage readers of the Gardeners’ Chronicle to carry out such experiments (see Correspondence vol. 9, letter to Journal of Horticulture , [before 18 June 1861]). The results of CD’s experiments are given in Variation 2: 167, as part of a discussion on the relationship between abnormal plant structure and the incidence of sterility. For CD’s interest in the causes of sterility, see Correspondence vol. 10, Appendix VI. See letter from C. V. Naudin, 26 …
| letter | (14) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (10) |
| Gray, Asa | (4) |
| Gray, Asa | (10) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (4) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (14) |
| Gray, Asa |
