To Luke Hindmarsh 3 May [1861]
Summary
Asks how many wild Chillingham cattle are killed each year. Interested in rate of increase.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Luke Hindmarsh |
| Date: | 3 May [1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 145: 127 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3137 |
To [Robert Chambers?] 13 April [1861]
Summary
Since his previous letter, has unexpectedly arranged to go to London next Tuesday.
Hopes to call on recipient.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Robert Chambers |
| Date: | 13 Apr [1861] |
| Classmark: | John Wilson (dealer) (item 25007) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3117F |
From Andrew Murray 3 March 1861
Summary
Will be pleased to review Asa Gray’s pamphlet [see 3068].
Is not surprised that blind cave insects are sometimes found in other dark places.
| Author: | Andrew Dickson (Andrew) Murray |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 3 Mar 1861 |
| Classmark: | DAR 47: 154–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3077 |
To D. F. Nevill 19 November [1861]
Summary
Declines invitation to visit DN’s orchid collection. Thanks for orchids and list [of available plants]. Requests a few more spikes of Bolbophyllum, particularly of species with irritable labellum.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Dorothy Fanny Walpole; Dorothy Fanny Nevill |
| Date: | 19 Nov [1861] |
| Classmark: | Cleveland Health Sciences Library (Robert M. Stecher collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3324 |
To John Lindley 17 November [1861]
Summary
Lady Dorothy [Nevill] has written very obligingly and sent a lot of orchids.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Lindley |
| Date: | 17 Nov [1861] |
| Classmark: | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Lindley letters, A–K: 197) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3323 |
From Gideon Lincecum 4 March 1861
Summary
Reports on the habits of the cutting ant of Texas, particularly its habit of planting shade trees to protect its mound from sun.
| Author: | Gideon Lincecum |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 4 Mar 1861 |
| Classmark: | Linnean Society of London (MS S.P. 604A) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3082 |
To W. E. Darwin 17 [October 1861]
Summary
Discusses business matters relating to WED and the bank.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Date: | 17 [Oct 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.6: 79 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3287 |
To Joseph Leidy 4 March [1861]
Summary
JL’s approval of CD’s work is gratifying. Most palaeontologists despise it. Delighted that JL has some interesting facts "in support of … selection". Is sure his views will be partially accepted. Has never doubted that "much in my Book will be proved erroneous".
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Leidy |
| Date: | 4 Mar [1861] |
| Classmark: | Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3081 |
To Ludwig Rütimeyer 5 December [1861]
Summary
Admires LR’s book [Die Fauna der Pfahlbauten (1861)].
Will attempt to arrange for skull of wild white Chillingham cattle to be sent by Earl of Tankerville.
CD has come to same conclusion as LR on zebus.
CD’s MS of Variation is half-prepared.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Karl Ludwig (Ludwig) Rütimeyer |
| Date: | 5 Dec [1861] |
| Classmark: | Universitätsbibliothek Basel, Handschriften (G IV 91, 3) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3339 |
To W. E. Darwin 30 November [1861]
Summary
Reports on state of family’s health.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Date: | 30 Nov [1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.6: 108 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3835 |
To Charles Lyell 2 February [1861]
Summary
Quotes passage from letter from Asa Gray dealing with views of Francis Bowen on heredity and Agassiz "(foolish man)" on heredity and languages.
Sent CL the Calcutta Review [with Edward Blyth’s review of Origin, 35 (1860): 64–88].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
| Date: | 2 Feb [1861] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.238) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3054 |
To Edward Cresy 28 May [1861]
Summary
Thanks for railway map.
Surprised about Richard Owen: "I thought his courage was as indomitable as his malignity."
Sends extract [Sir John Herschel, "Physical geography", from the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1861)].
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Edward Cresy, Jr |
| Date: | 28 May [1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 143: 320 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3165 |
To John Lindley 25 October [1861]
Summary
Sends thanks for an informative letter;
would be grateful for any orchids; names some he would particularly like.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Lindley |
| Date: | 25 Oct [1861] |
| Classmark: | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Lindley letters, A–K: 194) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3299 |
To W. E. Darwin 22 October [1861]
Summary
Tells of a shooting competition at Down.
Has been working hard at orchid drawings with G. B. Sowerby, Jr.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Date: | 22 Oct [1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 210.6: 80 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3294 |
To Asa Gray 21 July [1861]
Summary
Is writing his paper on orchids.
Is surprised that AG gets little or no response with Drosera.
Describes the two forms of Primula and asks whether AG knows any analogous cases of dimorphism.
Reports that John Stuart Mill approves of CD’s scientific method.
Discusses American politics.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 21 July [1861] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (61) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3216 |
To Asa Gray 11 April [1861]
Summary
Huxley and CD fear Chauncey Wright’s review is too general.
Reports the praise for AG’s pamphlet.
J. S. Henslow is dying.
Francis Bowen strikes CD as weak and unobservant; presumes he is a metaphysician, which accounts for his "entire want of common sense".
Does wild Apocynum catch flies in U. S.?
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Asa Gray |
| Date: | 11 Apr [1861] |
| Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (53) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3115 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … to Correspondence vol. 8). See letter to Asa Gray, 12 March [1861] . CD refers to Sampson …
- … letter from Asa Gray, 31 March [1862] ( Correspondence vol. 10), Gray informed CD about this transaction: ‘I took about £50 … which
〈 Ap〉 pleton & Co sent me for〈 your〉 book, to pay the printers with’. In May 1860, CD had received £21 17 s . 6 d . Gray had negotiated on CD’s behalf with the publisher, who agreed to grant CD author’s royalties on the edition (see Correspondence vol. 8). The United States of America was on the brink of civil war. Hostilities broke out on 12 …
To J. D. Hooker 17 November [1861]
Summary
JDH’s letter on grounds of generalisation in plant morphology.
Faunal distribution and the glacial period.
Orchid homologies.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 17 Nov [1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 131 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3322 |
To J. D. Hooker 15 [October 1861]
Summary
Orchid anatomy. Wind as agent of self-fertilisation in orchids.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 15 [Oct 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 119 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3286 |
To J. D. Hooker 23 [April 1861]
Summary
Lieut. F. W. Hutton’s original review [Geologist 4 (1861): 132–6, 183–8] understands that mutability cannot be directly proved.
CD met Bentham at Linnean Society and asked him to write up his views on mutability.
Opinion of Owen.
Conversation with Lyell on antiquity of man.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
| Date: | 23 [Apr 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 115: 91 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3098 |
From Charles and Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [13 January 1861]
Summary
Two letters for WED at E. A. Darwin's. G. H. Darwin has been to dentist. Please collect and pay for GHD’s skates.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin; Emma Wedgwood; Emma Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Erasmus Darwin |
| Date: | [13 Jan 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 185: 117 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3046F |
| letter | (49) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (6) |
| Darwin, W. E. | (6) |
| Gray, Asa | (5) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (5) |
| Lyell, Charles | (4) |
| Darwin, C. R. | (48) |
| Darwin, W. E. | (7) |
| Gray, Asa | (7) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (5) |
| Lyell, Charles | (4) |
Lost in translation: From Auguste Forel, 12 November 1874
Summary
You receive a gift from your scientific hero Charles Darwin. It is a book that contains sections on your favourite topic—ants. If only you had paid attention when your mother tried to teach you English you might be able to read it. But you didn’t, and you…
Matches: 1 hits
- … You receive a gift from your scientific hero Charles Darwin. It is a book that contains sections …
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: 1 hits
- … The year 1874 was one of consolidation, reflection, and turmoil for Darwin. He spent the early …
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: 1 hits
- … There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website. The full texts of …
Darwin’s hothouse and lists of hothouse plants
Summary
Darwin became increasingly involved in botanical experiments in the years after the publication of Origin. The building of a small hothouse - a heated greenhouse - early in 1863 greatly increased the range of plants that he could keep for scientific…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Towards the end of 1862, Darwin resolved to build a small hothouse at Down House, for …
1.2 George Richmond, marriage portrait
Summary
< Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more may once have existed. In a letter of 1873 an old Shrewsbury friend, Arthur Mostyn Owen, offered to send Darwin a watercolour sketch of him, painted many years…
Matches: 1 hits
- … < Back to Introduction Few likenesses of Darwin in his youth survive, although more …
Darwin in letters, 1862: A multiplicity of experiments
Summary
1862 was a particularly productive year for Darwin. This was not only the case in his published output (two botanical papers and a book on the pollination mechanisms of orchids), but more particularly in the extent and breadth of the botanical experiments…
Matches: 1 hits
- … As the sheer volume of his correspondence indicates, 1862 was a particularly productive year for …
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: 1 hits
- … Having laboured for nearly five years on human evolution, sexual selection, and the expression of …
Darwin in letters, 1881: Old friends and new admirers
Summary
In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began writing about all the eminent men he had met. He embarked on this task, which formed an addition to his autobiography, because he had nothing else to do. He had…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In May 1881, Darwin, one of the best-known celebrities in England if not the world, began …
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: 1 hits
- … Observers | Fieldwork | Experimentation | Editors and critics | Assistants …
German and Dutch photograph albums
Summary
Darwin Day 2018: To celebrate Darwin's 209th birthday, we present two lavishly produced albums of portrait photographs which Darwin received from continental admirers 141 years ago. These unusual gifts from Germany and the Netherlands are made…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In 1877, Charles Darwin was sent some unusual birthday presents: two lavishly …
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: 1 hits
- … I am merely slaving over the sickening work of preparing new Editions …
Darwin in letters, 1878: Movement and sleep
Summary
In 1878, Darwin devoted most of his attention to the movements of plants. He investigated the growth pattern of roots and shoots, studying the function of specific organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of…
Matches: 1 hits
- … I think we have proved that the sleep of plants is to lessen injury to leaves from radiation …
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: 1 hits
- … At the start of 1869, Darwin was hard at work making changes and additions for a fifth edition of …
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: 1 hits
- … At the start of 1863, Charles Darwin was actively working on the manuscript of The variation of …
The Lyell–Lubbock dispute
Summary
In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book Prehistoric times, accused Lyell of plagiarism. The dispute caused great dismay among many of their mutual scientific friends, some of whom took immediate action…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In May 1865 a dispute arose between John Lubbock and Charles Lyell when Lubbock, in his book …
Darwin in letters, 1872: Job done?
Summary
'My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, 'is so nearly closed. . . What little more I can do, shall be chiefly new work’, and the tenor of his correspondence throughout the year is one of wistful reminiscence, coupled with a keen eye…
Matches: 1 hits
- … ‘My career’, Darwin wrote towards the end of 1872, ‘is so nearly closed. . . What little more I …
Darwin in letters, 1882: Nothing too great or too small
Summary
In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and for the first time in decades he was not working on another book. He remained active in botanical research, however. Building on his recent studies in plant…
Matches: 1 hits
- … In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous October, and …
Diagrams and drawings in letters
Summary
Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have been added to the online transcripts of the letters. The contents include maps, diagrams, drawings, sketches and photographs, covering geological, botanical,…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Over 850 illustrations from the printed volumes of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin have …
Darwin in letters, 1847-1850: Microscopes and barnacles
Summary
Darwin's study of barnacles, begun in 1844, took him eight years to complete. The correspondence reveals how his interest in a species found during the Beagle voyage developed into an investigation of the comparative anatomy of other cirripedes and…
Matches: 1 hits
- … Species theory In November 1845, Charles Darwin wrote to his friend and confidant Joseph …
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: 1 hits
- … When Darwin resumed systematic research on emotions around 1866, he began to collect observations …
