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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: 22 hits

  • … , Darwins research had centred firmly on botany. The year 1877 was no exception. The spring and
  • botany was increasingly a collaborative affair with his son Francis, who had moved back to Down
  • from a family that the Darwins had befriended. The year 1877 was more than usually full of honours. …
  • In the end, Darwin did not publish on the subject, but Francis later reported some of the results of
  • of a very heavy shower’, William wrote on 24 August 1877 . ‘The leaves were not at all depressed; …
  • gardeners ( letter from W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 25 August 1877 ). At Down House, Darwin and
  • a delicate twig’ ( letter to R. I. Lynch, 14 September 1877 ). Research on movement would continue
  • with thread, card, and bits of glass. Encouraging Francis Darwin greatly enjoyed
  • eminent German botanist Ferdinand Julius Cohn, who confirmed Franciss observations: ‘the most
  • of some Infusoria’ ( letter from F. J. Cohn, 5 August 1877 ). Franciss paper eventually appeared
  • wrote to the editor, George Croom Robertson, on 27 April 1877 , ‘I hope that you will be so good
  • had written to the editor Ernst Ludwig Krause on 30 June 1877 , ‘I have been much interested by
  • the German debate (letters to W. E. Gladstone, 2 October 1877 and 25 October [1877] ). …
  • and lively’ ( letter from W. E. Gladstone, 23 October 1877 ). Gifts of German and Dutch
  • Darwin and Ernst Haeckel). Writing to Darwin on 11 March 1877 , Krause declared the journalan
  • the director, Adriaan Anthoni van Bemmelen, on 12 February 1877 : ‘I suppose that every worker at
  • had visited Down House and become friendly with George and Francis. He wrote to Francis on 24
  • … ‘As fornatural 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 Galtons 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

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: 21 hits

  • alongside a botanical interest in roots, as he and his son Francis carried out their latest
  • alas, very dull & has disappointed me much’ ( letter to Francis Galton, 15 [June 1879] ). Even
  • Virchows attempt to discredit evolutionary theory in 1877, assured him that his views were now
  • editor of the journal Kosmos , which had been founded in 1877 by Krause and others as a journal
  • 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 Galtons 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
  • … ( letter from V. H. Darwin, 28 May [1879] ). On the Galton side of the family, Elizabeth Anne
  • and particularly the theory of natural selection in 1877) had previously told Krause, ‘He is a very
  • 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
  • views on heliotropism to such an extent that he implied that Franciss experiments werehardly
  • that it came from a specific gland in the leaf. This struck Francis asbosh’, but, he complained to
  • up and go because Sachs didnt.’ Moreover, Sachs admired Franciss little spectroscope so much that
  • rooms in a house that wasdisreputable’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 16 June 1879] ). …
  • of laws he had received from Cambridge University in 1877. Emma Darwin recorded that Darwin found
  • the book, the response from readers was gratifying. Francis Galton read the book with the greatest

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: 13 hits

  • … 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] ). …
  • … of plants.’ ( From Friedrich Hildebrand, 18 January 1877 ). Hermann Müller enthused that Darwin’s …
  • … my book’ ( To  Gardeners’ Chronicle , 19 February [1877] ). In contrast, as Hooker told Darwin, …
  • … gloats over it' ( From J. D. Hooker, 27 January 1877 ). Darwin was especially pleased with …
  • … have quite eviscerated it’ ( To Asa Gray, 18 February [1877] ). By mid-March 1877, the edition was …
  • … index a little altered’ ( To R. F. Cooke, 11 December [1877] ). These changes were necessitated by …
  • … wheat that he had studied ( From A. W. Rimpau, 10 December 1877 ). By the end of February 1878, …

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: 22 hits

  • … organs in this process. Working closely with his son Francis, Darwin devised a series of experiments …
  • … of most advanced plant laboratories in Europe. While Francis was away, Darwin delighted in …
  • … He had begun a systematic study of plant movement in 1877, concentrating on the motion of leaves in …
  • … (see Movement in plants , pp. 112–13). He explained to Francis on 2 July : ‘I go on maundering …
  • … out that he missed sensitiveness of apex’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, [11 May 1878] ). …
  • … the bassoon & apparently more by a high than a low note.’ Francis apparently played the musical …
  • … on plant movement were intensely collaborative, with Francis playing a more active role than ever. …
  • … exchanged when they were apart. At the start of June, Francis left to work at Sach’s laboratory in …
  • … ( letter to W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 18 June [1878] ). While Francis was away, Darwin sent regular …
  • … to talk to, about my work, I scribble to you ( letter to Francis Darwin, 7 [July 1878] ). Two …
  • … is horrid not having you to discuss it with’ ( letter to Francis Darwin, 20 [July 1878] ). …
  • … topics and dictating experimental method and design. Francis seems to have been allowed to work more …
  • … cells of oats to determine whether they had chlorophyll, Francis reported ( letter from Francis
  • … that could not easily be obtained at Down House, but Francis thought Horace’s abilities were a match …
  • … well made.’ (Jemmy or Jim was Horace’s nickname.) Francis was occasionally struck by Sachs’s …
  • … every day & never the bedded out one’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 7 July 1878] ). …
  • … to dismiss work that contradicted his own. Darwin asked Francis to test the results of the Polish …
  • … borrowed Cieselski & read him,’ he reported ( letter from Francis Darwin, [22 June 1878] ). …
  • … style, Sachs seems to have been a very supportive mentor to Francis and even extended a kind of …
  • … which is here the cure for all evils’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [24 and 25 July 1878] ). …
  • … the German Association of Naturalists in September 1877, Darwin’s outspoken supporter Ernst Haeckel …
  • … the right’ and referred him to recent work by Francis Galton on selective breeding. He still thought …

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: 3 hits

  • … and self fertilisation (1876), and Forms of flowers (1877). When he jokingly mentioned his …
  • … 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, 1880: Sensitivity and worms

Summary

‘My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old Shrewsbury friend Henry Johnson on 14 November 1880. Darwin became fully devoted to earthworms in the spring of the year, just after finishing the manuscript of…

Matches: 6 hits

  • … Mr Butler whatever.’ Power of movement With Francis’s assistance, the last of Darwin’s …
  • … the genus given by Gray in an article and textbook (A. Gray 1877 and A. Gray 1879, pp. 20–1). ‘I …
  • … of the nervous system, and the nature of ‘sensitivity’. Francis Balfour described Movement in …
  • … the intake of stones and flints to aid digestion. He asked Francis to check for castings on old …
  • … rightly thought the ‘queer subject’ of interest to Francis Galton, who had already taken thumb …
  • … William’s interest in geology, and longed to see Francis elected fellow of the Royal Society. He …

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: 9 hits

  • … 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 …
  • … were involved in the launch of Kosmos in April 1877. From Haeckel, Darwin received a copy of a …
  • … 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 2 December, the same meeting at which Romanes and Francis Darwin were made fellows. But Thiselton …