To Charles Lyell 25 October [1859]
Summary
Discusses P. S. Pallas’ theory of origin of domestic dog breeds. CD believes domestic dogs descended from more than one aboriginal wild species but ultimately "we believe all canine species have descended from one parent and the only question is whether the whole or only part of difference in our domestic breeds has arisen since man domesticated them".
Races of man offer great difficulty. The doctrine of Pallas and Agassiz that there are several species "does not help us" in the least.
Hopes Henry Holland will not review Origin.
CD’s and CL’s difference on "principle of improvement" and "power of adaptation" is profound. Improvement in breeds of cattle requires neither. Urges him to reread first four chapters of Origin carefully. Natural selection is not to be contrasted with "improvement": every step involves improvement in relation to the conditions of life. There is no need for a "principle" to intervene.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 25 Oct [1859] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.174) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2510 |
To Charles Lyell 11 February [1857]
Summary
Discusses a proposed expedition to Australia. Urges collecting and investigating productions of isolated islands. Recommends dredging the sea-bottom.
Mentions keeping Helix pomatia alive in sea-water.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 11 Feb [1857] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.145) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2050 |
To Charles Lyell 6 March [1863]
Summary
Comments at length on CL’s book [Antiquity of man (1863)]. CD is "greatly disappointed that you have not given judgment and spoken fairly out what you think about the derivation of species".
Lists large number of queries concerning minor points.
Praises especially the chapters on language and glaciers.
Comments on the temperature of Africa during the glacial period, especially with regard to the views of Hooker.
Mentions Owen’s paper on the aye-aye [Rep. BAAS 32 (1862) pt 2: 114–16].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 6 Mar [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.289) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4028 |
To Charles Lyell 22 May [1860]
Summary
Mentions American edition of Origin.
A "savage" review [by John Duns] in North British Review [32 (1860): 455–68].
Comments on views of G. H. K. Thwaites on the survival of simple forms as a problem in his theory.
Mentions imperfection of geological record.
Marine origin of coal.
Illness of Etty.
Encloses article by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire on hare–rabbit crosses [Histoire naturelle générale (1854–62) 3: 222].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 22 May [1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.213) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2812 |
To Charles Lyell [16 June 1848]
Summary
Comments on Ann Susan Horner’s escape in a dangerous incident at sea.
Compares addresses by William Buckland and CL, delivered at recent meeting of the Geological Society.
Discusses the views on Glen Roy in Chambers’ Ancient sea-margins [1848].
Speculates that Chambers wrote Vestiges [of creation (1844)].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [16 June 1848] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.73) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1186 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 1848 , p. 319. Chambers cited CD’s theory of coral reef formation as justification for his own suggestion. Robert Chambers’s authorship of Vestiges of the natural history of creation ( [Chambers] 1844 ) was widely known by 1854 ( A. Desmond 1982 , p. 210 n. 28). See Correspondence vol. 3, letters to J. D. Hooker, [ …
letter | (5) |
Darwin, C. R. | (5) |
Lyell, Charles | (5) |
Darwin, C. R. | (5) |
Lyell, Charles |