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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: 16 hits

  • produced by a cross between two distinct plants’ ( To JDHooker, 17 March [1867] ). He noted
  • of France where Moggridge lived for part of the year ( To JTMoggridge, 1 October [1867] ). …
  • to impotence when taken from the same plant!’ ( To JDHooker, 21 May [1868] ) Pollen tubes, or
  • the season it becomes capable of self-fertilisation’ ( To JDHooker, 23 July [1871] ). Darwin
  • with choosing which taxonomic system to follow ( To JDHooker, 17 February 1873 ). Despite also
  • I finish with this & get it published’ ( To Asa Gray, 11 March [1873] ). In April 1873, …
  • 4 May [1873] ). In reply to his German translator Julius Carus, who wrote in early May, Darwin
  • … & I have no idea when it will be published’ ( To JVCarus, 8 May [1873] ). Hermann Müller
  • decided to shift focus back to Drosera . He informed Carus that his next book would be on this
  • March 1874, some doubts seemed to have arisen when he told Carus, ‘My next book, (if I live & …
  • … & Trimorphic plants with new & related matter. ( To JVCarus, 19 March [1874] ). A year
  • to publish his earlier papers in the same book ( To JVCarus, 25 December 1875 ). As
  • … & which will be published early in November’ ( To JVCarus, 27 September 1876 ). The title
  • ARWallace, 13 December 1876 ). No reply to this letter has been found, but Darwin had long
  • as he wanted to make corrections for a new edition. On 11 December, Darwin sent corrected sheets to
  • repaged & the index a little altered’ ( To R. F. Cooke, 11 December [1877] ). These changes

Darwin in letters, 1867: A civilised dispute

Summary

Charles Darwin’s major achievement in 1867 was the completion of his large work, The variation of animals and plants under domestication (Variation). The importance of Darwin’s network of correspondents becomes vividly apparent in his work on expression in…

Matches: 16 hits

  • … suppose abuse is as good as praise for selling a Book’ ( letter to John Murray, 31 January [1867] …
  • … to the printer, but without the additional chapter. In a letter written on 8 February [1867] to …
  • … books,  Descent  and  Expression . In the same letter, Darwin revealed the conclusion to his …
  • … variation of animals and plants under domestication . In a letter to his son William dated 27 …
  • … of his brother’s embryological papers with his first letter to Darwin of 15 March 1867 , although …
  • … . Indeed, he told his publisher, John Murray, in a letter of 4 April [1867] , not to send …
  • … one from Vogt in April 1867, to translate the new work. Carus had already agreed in principle to …
  • … tell me, at what rate your work will be published’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). This …
  • … & sent to him, he may wish to give up the task’ ( letter to Carl Vogt, 12 April [1867] ). …
  • … fit person’ to introduce the work to the German public ( letter from J. V. Carus, 15 April 1867 ). …
  • … attack it & me with unparalleled ferocity’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 17 November [1867] ). …
  • … asking again for information on Fuegian expressions. On 11 January 1867, Sulivan replied , …
  • … to Alfred Russel Wallace, who suggested in his response of 11 March [1867] that Darwin send his …
  • … Darwin’s theory (letter from Fritz to Hermann Müller, 11 February 1867, in Möller ed. 1915–21, 2: …
  • … had read it and whether it was worth reading ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 4 February 1867 ). In a …
  • … judgement he would subdue; that is yours’ ( letter from J. V. Carus, 5 April 1867 ). Darwin …

Darwin in letters, 1876: In the midst of life

Summary

1876 was the year in which the Darwins became grandparents for the first time.  And tragically lost their daughter-in-law, Amy, who died just days after her son's birth.  All the letters from 1876 are now published in volume 24 of The Correspondence…

Matches: 26 hits

  • … ‘my wifepoor creature, has won only 2490 games’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876 ). …
  • to think of the future’, Darwin confessed to William on 11 September just hours after Amys
  • quantity of workleft in him fornew matter’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). The
  • to a reprint of the second edition of Climbing plants ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 23 February
  • revisions at all. His resolve held even when Julius Victor Carus, who intended to translate the
  • resolved not even to look at a single proof ’. Perhaps Caruss meticulous correction of errors in
  • accuracy, & I for blundering’, he cheerfully observed to Carus. ( Letter to J. V. Carus, 24
  • provided evidence for theadvantages of crossing’ (letter to Asa Gray, 28 January 1876). Revising
  • year to write about his life ( Correspondence vol. 23, letter from Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, 20
  • nowadays is evolution and it is the correct one’ ( letter from Nemo, [1876?] ). …
  • himbaselyand who had succeeded in giving him pain ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 June 1876 ). …
  • respectability (see Correspondence vol. 22, Appendix V). Eighteen months later, Darwin remained
  • disgraceof blackballing so distinguished a zoologist ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 29 January 1876 ) …
  • must have been cast by thepoorest curs in London’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [4 February
  • her questions weretoo silly to deserve an answer’ ( letter from S. B. Herrick, 12 February 1876
  • on Dionaeato test the insect eating theory’ ( letter from Peter Henderson, 15 November 1876
  • letter from Moritz Schiff, 8 May 1876 ). Pangenesis v. perigenesis The young
  • results in this years experiments’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, [ c . 19 March 1876] ). A less
  • by the mutual pressure of very young buds’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 21 June [1876] ). Darwin
  • naturalist Thomas Edward ( letter from F. M. Balfour, 11 December 1876 ; letter to Samuel Smiles
  • paper wasnot worthy of being read ever’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 28 January 1876 ). Darwin
  • who died at the age of 10 in 1851, but William, who was 11 years old at the time of her death, would
  • you are one of the best of all’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 11 September [1876] ). …
  • do I cannot conceive’, Darwin wrote anxiously to Hooker on 11 September. By the time Darwin
  • … [1876] ). Darwin repeated the same warning to Julius Carus, his German translator. ‘You will have
  • Hildebrand, 6 December 1876 , and letter from F. J. Cohn, 31 December 1876 ). To Darwins

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: 23 hits

  • … in Unconscious memory in November 1880 and in an abusive letter about Darwin in the St James’s …
  • … memory in Kosmos and sent Darwin a separate letter for publication in the Journal of Popular …
  • … publishers decided to print ‘500 more, making 2000’ ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 4 January 1881 ) …
  • … the animal learnt from its own individual experience ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 7 March 1881 ). …
  • … whether observations of their behaviour were trustworthy ( letter to Francis Galton, 8 March [1881] …
  • … about the sale of books being ‘a game of chance’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 12 April 1881 ). On 18 …
  • … for more suggestions of such plants, especially annuals ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 21 March …
  • … supposed he would feel ‘less sulky in a day or two’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 29 July 1881 ). The …
  • … dead a work falls at this late period of the season’ ( letter from R. F. Cooke, 30 July 1881 ). …
  • … conversation with you’, a Swedish teacher told him ( letter from C. E. Södling, 14 October 1881 ), …
  • … add, however little, to the general stock of knowledge’ ( letter to E. W. Bok, 10 May 1881 ). …
  • … regular ‘bread-winners’ ( Correspondence vol. 30, letter to C. A. Kennard, 9 January 1882 ). …
  • … any future publication & to acknowledge any criticism’ ( letter to C. G. Semper, 19 July 1881 …
  • … view of the nature & capabilities of the Fuegians’ ( letter to W. P. Snow, 22 November 1881 ). …
  • … which he thought ‘an excellent Journal’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 4 July [1881] ). In these ways, …
  • … one’ and had ‘gone much out’ of his mind ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 20 June [1881] ). Feeling …
  • … atrocious a manner on all physiologists’ ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 18 April 1881 ). A letter he …
  • … would be with a less intelligent man’ ( letter from G. J. Romanes, 1 July [1881] ). Despite this, …
  • … it; & I now wish that I had not done so’ ( letter to J. V. Carus, 8 December 1881 ). …
  • … men the true methods of investigation’ ( letter from C. V. Riley, 18 December 1881 ). …
  • … Britannica , telling the author, Arabella Buckley, on 11 July that he regretted that there …
  • … entirely new will. Apart from providing for his family, on 11 September he instructed his …
  • … and plants, Darwin told the director, Archibald Geikie, on 11 November , ‘This leads me to make …

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: 27 hits

  • be done by observation during prolonged intervals’ ( letter to D. T. Gardner, [ c . 27 August
  • pleasures of shooting and collecting beetles ( letter from W. D. Fox, 8 May [1874] ).  Such
  • Andone looks backwards much more than forwards’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). …
  • was an illusory hope.— I feel very old & helpless’  ( letter to B. J. Sulivan, 6 January [1874] …
  • inferred that he was well from his silence on the matter ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 26 October
  • in such rubbish’, he confided to Joseph Dalton Hooker ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 January [1874] …
  • that Mr Williams wasa cheat and an imposter’ ( letter from T. H. Huxley, 27 January 1874 ). …
  • his, ‘& that he was thus free to perform his antics’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 29 January [1874
  • letter to Smith, Elder & Co., 8 January 1874 , letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 January 1874 , and
  • coral-reefs . In his preface ( Coral reefs  2d ed., pp. vvii), Darwin reasserted the priority of
  • for misinterpreting Darwin on this point ( letter from J. D. Dana, 21 July 1874 ); however, he did
  • number of new facts and remarks’ ( Descent  2d ed., p. v). Among the many contributors was
  • scientific conduct (see Correspondence vol. 22, Appendix V and Dawson 2007, pp. 7781). Darwin
  • review me in a hostile spirit’ ( letter to John Murray, 11 August 1874 ). Darwin was
  • Mivart (see  Correspondence  vol. 20, letter to St G. J. Mivart, 11 January [1872] ). To Darwin
  • whether he was the author of the review ( see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 December 1874 ). Huxley
  • Mivart had written the article ( enclosure to letter from J. D. Hooker, 21 December 1874 ). Huxley
  • had written before (see Correspondence vol. 22, Appendix V, p. 641).  give him the
  • you & yours’ (see Correspondence vol. 22appendix V, p. 644). In his dealings
  • …  in the  Academy   (2 January 1875; see Appendix V, pp. 6445) . The affair rolled on into
  • the moment of being hatched ( letter to  Nature , 7 and 11 May [1874] ; Spalding 1872a). …
  • … & that must be enough for me’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 11 May [1874] ). Plants that eat . …
  • cartilage, bone & meat &c. &c.’ ( letter to W. D. Fox,  11 May [1874] ). His research
  • Correspondence  vol. 21, letter from Francis Darwin,  [11 October 1873] ). Darwin wasted
  • the photograph he sent highly ( letter from D. F. Nevill, [11 September 1874] ). At the
  • … . Darwins German translator, Julius Victor Carus, and his publisher, Eduard Koch of E. …
  • had been translated had already been sold ( letter from J. V. Carus, 15 March 1874 ). Darwin was

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: 25 hits

  • … Observers Women: Letter 1194 - Darwin to Whitby, M. A. T., [12 August …
  • … silkworm breeds, or peculiarities in inheritance. Letter 3787 - Darwin, H. E. to …
  • … observations of cats’ instinctive behaviour. Letter 4258 - Becker, L. E. to Darwin, …
  • … to artificially fertilise plants in her garden. Letter 4523 - Wedgwood, L. C. to …
  • … be made on seeds of Pulmonaria officinalis . Letter 5745 - Barber, M. E. to …
  • … Expression from her home in South Africa. Letter 6736 - Gray, A. & J. L …
  • … Expression during a trip to Egypt. Letter 7223 - Darwin to Wedgwood, L. C., …
  • … expression of emotion in her pet dog and birds. Letter 5817 - Darwin to Huxley, T. …
  • … is making similar observations for him. Letter 6535 - Vaughan Williams , M. S. …
  • … of a crying baby to Darwin's daughter, Henrietta. Letter 7179 - Wedgwood, …
  • … briefly on her ongoing observations of wormholes. Letter 8611 - Cupples, A. J. …
  • … expression of emotion in dogs with Emma Darwin. Letter 8676 - Treat, M. to Darwin, …
  • … birds, insects or plants on Darwin’s behalf. Letter 8683 - Roberts, D. to …
  • … of an angry pig and her niece’s ears. Letter 8701 - Lubbock, E. F . to Darwin, …
  • Letter 4436 - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [26-27 March 1864] Darwin thanks Hooker for …
  • … and orangs. Letter 5705 - Haast, J. F. J. von to Darwin, [4 December 1867] …
  • … in a marble tablet”. Letter 6815 - Scott, J. to Darwin, [2 July 1869] John …
  • … Men: Letter 385  - Wedgwood, S. E. & J. to Darwin, [10 November 1837] …
  • … Hall, Staffordshire. Letter 1219  - Hooker, J. D. to Darwin, [3 February 1849] …
  • Letter 4928  - Henslow, G. to Darwin, [11 November 1865] J. S. Henslow’s son, George, …
  • … Men: Letter 1836  - Berkeley, M. J. to Darwin, [7 March 1856] Clergyman and …
  • … to feed to them. Letter 2069  - Tenant, J. to Darwin, [31 March 1857] James …
  • … University of Bonn. Letter 6046  - Weir, J. J. to Darwin, [24 March 1868] …
  • Letter 2461  - Darwin to Hooker, J. D., [11 May 1859] Darwin expresses anxiety over …
  • … style and clarity. Letter 5403  - Darwin to Carus,  J. V.  [17 February 1867] …

Darwin in letters,1866: Survival of the fittest

Summary

The year 1866 began well for Charles Darwin, as his health, after several years of illness, was now considerably improved. In February, Darwin received a request from his publisher, John Murray, for a new edition of  Origin. Darwin got the fourth…

Matches: 22 hits

  • … Pound foolish, Penurious, Pragmatical Prigs’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [29 December 1866] ). But …
  • … able to write easy work for about 1½ hours every day’ ( letter to H. B. Jones, 3 January [1866] ). …
  • … once daily to make the chemistry go on better’ ( letter from H. B. Jones, 10 February [1866] ). …
  • … see you out with our beagles before the season is over’ ( letter from John Lubbock, 4 August 1866 …
  • … work doing me any harm—any how I can’t be idle’ ( letter to W. D. Fox, 24 August [1866] ). …
  • … production of which Tegetmeier had agreed to supervise ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 16 January …
  • … of “Domestic Animals & Cult. Plants” to Printers’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 24 December [1866] …
  • … good deal I think, & have come to more definite views’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 22 December …
  • … ‘I quite follow you in thinking Agassiz glacier-mad’ ( letter to Charles Lyell, 8[–9] September …
  • … ten times more than the belief of a dozen physicists’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 February 1866] …
  • … past few years. Emma described the Royal Society event in a letter to George: ‘Your father … entered …
  • … me to worship Bence Jones in future—’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 May 1866 ). Darwin himself …
  • … then went for ¾ to Zoolog. Garden!!!!!!!!!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [28 April 1866] ). …
  • … much to see him, though I dread all exertion’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [12 May 1866] ). Darwin’s …
  • … Haeckel. The German zoologist had written to Darwin on 11 January 1866 , ‘Every time I succeed in …
  • … (Correspondence vol. 9, letter from Asa Gray, 11 October 1861 ). Darwin wished to establish …
  • … diœcious’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin, [7 May – 11 June 1866] ). On examining more specimens later …
  • … & admit how little is known on the subject’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 and 4 August [1866] ). …
  • … see how differently we look at every thing’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 August [1866] ). Yet both …
  • … same thing in a different light from you’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 7 August 1866 ). The two …
  • … on 18 August, bringing his ‘blessed mss’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker, [17 August 1866] ). Hooker …
  • … ‘I am glad to hear from Spencer’, Huxley wrote on 11 November , ‘that you are on the right (that …

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: 24 hits

  • … & I am sick of correcting’ ( Correspondence  vol. 16, letter to W. D. Fox, 12 December [1868 …
  • … Well it is a beginning, & that is something’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, [22 January 1869] ). …
  • … made any blunders, as is very likely to be the case’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 January 1869 ). …
  • … than I now see is possible or probable’ (see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 January [1869] , …
  • … is strengthened by the facts in distribution’ ( letter to James Croll, 31 January [1869] ). Darwin …
  • … tropical species using Croll’s theory. In the same letter to Croll, Darwin had expressed …
  • … a very long period  before  the Cambrian formation’ ( letter to James Croll,  31 January [1869] …
  • … data to go by, but don’t think we have got that yet’ ( letter from James Croll, 4 February 1869 ). …
  • … I d  have been less deferential towards [Thomson]’ ( letter to T. H. Huxley, 19 March [1869] ). …
  • … completed revisions of the ‘everlasting old Origin’ ( letter to Asa Gray, 1 June [1869] ), he was …
  • … him however in his researches I would willingly do so’ ( letter from Robert Elliot to George …
  • … with his noisy courting of the female in the garden ( letter from Frederick Smith, 8 October 1869 …
  • … doubted her ability to recognise the different varieties ( letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 25 February …
  • … weary of everlasting males & females, cocks & hens.—’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 November …
  • … with much more of the same description’ ( enclosure to letter from Henry Maudsley, 20 May 1869 ). …
  • … in an additional & proximate cause in regard to Man’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 14 April 1869 …
  • … orang-utan, and the bird of paradise  (Wallace 1869a; letter to A. R. Wallace, 22 March [1869] ) …
  • … does himself an injustice & never demands justice’ ( letter to A. R. Wallace, 14 April 1869 ). …
  • … geological structures of the South American cordillera ( letter to Charles Lyell, 20 May 1869 ), …
  • … June, formed the basis for a new German edition (Bronn and Carus trans. 1870), prepared by Julius …
  • … [her] to translate “Domestic Animals”’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 19 November [1869] ). Angered by …
  • … poured boiling oil over the bumptious man’ ( letter from J. D. Hooker,  7 September 1869 ). Huxley …
  • … suggestions to its publisher, Macmillan ( letter from J. D. Hooker, 14 November 1869 ).  Darwin …
  • … experiments on rabbits ( letter from Francis Galton, 11 December 1869 ). This was the beginning of …

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: 28 hits

  • … his publishers, he warned that it was ‘dry as dust’ ( letter to R. F. Cooke, 9 September 1879 ). …
  • … turned out, alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June …
  • … home again’, he fretted, just days before his departure ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, [after 26 …
  • … many blessings, was finding old age ‘a dismal time’ ( letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879 ) …
  • … wrinkles one all over like a baked pear’ ( enclosure in letter from R. W. Dixon, 20 December 1879 …
  • … itself, or gone some other way round?’ At least the last letter of 1879 contained a warmer note and …
  • … office to complete Horace’s marriage settlement ( letter from W. M. Hacon, 31 December 1879 ). …
  • … but they were ‘as nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
  • … on your life’s work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
  • … to wish Darwin a ‘long and serene evening of life’. This letter crossed with one from Darwin, …
  • … by reading them an extract from a materialist work by Carus Sterne containing the statement ‘In the …
  • … as the ‘organ of “uncultivated materialism”’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 2 June 1879 ]). …
  • … up the glory & would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879 …
  • … wholly & shamefully ignorant of my grandfathers life’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 March 1879 …
  • … known philosopher and poet’ ( Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Francis Beaufort to Robert …
  • … these things with the when & the where, & the who—’ ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May …
  • … paternal grandparents thought ‘perfect in every way’ ( letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 ). …
  • … heard of him ‘constantly, & always with pride’ ( letter from Reginald Darwin, 29 March 1879 ). …
  • … essay might end up ‘interfering with each other’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 27 March 1879 ). Darwin …
  • … made such an introduction ‘almost indispensable’ ( letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 ). Darwin …
  • … everything into ridicule. He hates scientific men’ ( letter to Ernst Krause, 14 May 1879 ). …
  • … must be ‘in some degree interesting to the public’ ( letter to Reginald Darwin, 10 April [1879] ). …
  • … ‘very tastefully and well, and with little fatigue’ ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and …
  • … scarlet oak: ‘to be planted in my honour!’ ( letter to J. D. Hooker, 4 November [1879] ). While in …
  • … & scientific men’, Darwin wrote in reply on 11 January . ‘Search for the truth, & then …
  • … knowledge—observation & experiment’ ( letter from J. F. Moulton, 10 December 1879 ). In reply …
  • … image of the frog be published in Nature ( letter to J. N. Lockyer, 4 and 6 March [1879] ). …
  • … and his family to the Riviera for the summer ( letter to G. J. Romanes, 23 July 1879 ). Allen, who …