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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: 15 hits

  • heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world,’ Darwin wrote to his old
  • to adapt to varying conditions. The implications of Darwins work for the boundary between animals
  • studies of animal instincts by George John Romanes drew upon Darwins early observations of infants, …
  • of evolution and creation. Many letters flowed between Darwin and his children, as he took delight
  • Financial support for science was a recurring issue, as Darwin tried to secure a Civil List pension
  • with Samuel Butler, prompted by the publication of Erasmus Darwin the previous year. …
  • my grandfathers character is of much value to me’ ( letter to C. H. Tindal, 5 January 1880 ). …
  • have influenced the whole Kingdom, & even the world’ ( letter from J. L. Chester, 3 March 1880
  • of [William Alvey Darwin],’ George wrote on 28 May 1880 , ‘Isaid you were anxious not to
  • delighted to find an ordinary mortal who could laugh’ ( letter from W. E. Darwin to Charles and
  • much powder & shot’ ( Correspondence vol. 27, letter from Ernst Krause, 7 June 1879 , and
  • new was published). Butler wrote to Darwin on 2 January 1880 for an explanation: ‘Among the
  • modified; but now I much regret that I did not do so’ ( letter to Samuel Butler, 3 January 1880 ). …
  • anddecided on laying the matter before the public’ ( letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880
  • Henrietta ( letter to H. E. Litchfield, 1 February [1880] ). ‘The world will only knowthat you

3.8 Leonard Darwin, interior photo

Summary

< Back to Introduction Leonard Darwin, who created the distinctive image of his father sitting on the verandah at Down House, also portrayed him as a melancholy philosopher. His head, brightly lit from above, emerges from the enveloping darkness; he…

Matches: 15 hits

  • … &lt; Back to Introduction Leonard Darwin, who created the distinctive image of his father
  • is here an obvious relationship to Oulesss painting of Darwin, and to the photographs taken by
  • on a boys mind?’ This was written as late as 1929, when Leonard was himself nearly eighty, but it
  • descriptions of him. At the same time, photographs of Darwin taken by his family and friends have an
  • Magazine. Desmond and Moore, in their biography of Darwin, captioned itabout 1874’, while
  • above, it would need to have been early in that year. A letter which Leonard wrote to his father
  • … (unspecified, and now absent) might refer to the portrait of Darwin, although a pencilled note on
  • he took it in 1878.   It was this photograph which Leonard himself sent to Anthony Rich, a
  • and illustrator, created a bold wood-engraved image of Darwins head and shoulders from Leonards
  • our one great prophet in the region of facts’. Leonards image was also copied in a drawing which
  • Leipzig in 1882 . Francis Darwin lent the woodburytype of Leonards photograph to Edward Woodall, …
  • A portrait photographon china from the negative by Leonard Darwin’, lent to the 1909 exhibition by
  • DAR 186.34 (DCP-LETT-11484), Leonard Darwins letter to his father, enclosing unidentified
  • Darwin’, is signed by Darwin with the dateFeb. 22 d 1880’, but this was when the photograph was
  • Cambridge University Press, 1909), p. 47, no. 252. Richs letter to the Darwin family mentioning

Casting about: Darwin on worms

Summary

Earthworms were the subject of a citizen science project to map the distribution of earthworms across Britain (BBC Today programme, 26 May 2014). The general understanding of the role earthworms play in improving soils and providing nutrients for plants to…

Matches: 12 hits

  • for plants to flourish can be traced back to the last book Darwin wrote, snappily-titled The
  • on their habits, which was published in 1881. Despite Darwins fears that a book on earthworms might
  • out in his Natural History of Selborne of 1789 (a book Darwin claimed hadmuch influence on my
  • a new field in natural history, and almost a century later Darwin argued that all fields had passed
  • variety of strange things he persuaded people to do. Darwin concluded that worms had no sense
  • a metal whistle and to being shouted at, but also to Francis Darwin playing the bassoon, and to Emma
  • whether worms possessed the power to lift a pavement. Leonard and George made calculations about
  • realising that this negative evidence was also valuable to Darwin. Thomas Henry Farrer , …
  • existence of worms at that altitude. By the 1870s, Darwin was also drawing on the work of
  • him. Soon worm excrement was trusted to postal services, and Darwin acquired casts from India and
  • whole soul is absorbed with worms just at present!’ ( letter to W. T. Thiselton Dyer, 23 November
  • … ‘worms have much bigger souls than anyone wd suppose’ ( letter to W. E. Darwin, 31 January [1881] …

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: 17 hits

  • There are summaries of all Darwin's letters from the year 1879 on this website.  The full texts
  • 27 of the print edition of The correspondence of Charles Darwin , published by Cambridge
  • to publish a biographical account of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany a translation of an
  • the sensitivity of the tips. Despite this breakthrough, when Darwin first mentioned the book to his
  • that his grandfather had felt the same way. In 1792, Erasmus Darwin had written: ‘The worst thing I
  • 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
  • but they wereas nice and good as could be’ ( letter from Karl Beger, [ c. 12 February 1879] ) …
  • on your lifes work, which is crowned with glory’ ( letter from Ernst Haeckel, 9 February 1879 ). …
  • to wish Darwin along and serene evening of life’. This letter crossed with one from Darwin, …
  • the statementIn the beginning was carbon’ ( letter from Hermann Müller, 14 February 1879 ). …
  • as theorgan ofuncultivated materialism”’ ( letter from Francis Darwin, [after 2 June 1879 ]). …
  • up the glory &amp; would please Francis’, he pointed out ( letter from E. A. Darwin, 13 March [1879
  • itvery dull,—almost too dull to publish’, while Leonard Darwin considered that insufficient
  • … ( letter to G. H. Darwin, 12 July 1879 , and letter from Leonard Darwin, [before 12 July] 1879
  • survived the ordeal as his paper was published by Sachs in 1880. Family matters Before
  • Darwin found the innvery comfortable’, but told Leonard Darwin on 12 August that there

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: 22 hits

  • In 1882, Darwin reached his 74th year Earthworms had been published the previous
  • for scientific colleagues or their widows facing hardship. Darwin had suffered from poor health
  • … ‘I feel a very old man, &amp; my course is nearly run’ ( letter to Lawson Tait, 13 February 1882 ) …
  • of his scientific friends quickly organised a campaign for Darwin to have greater public recognition
  • Botanical observation and experiment had long been Darwins greatest scientific pleasure. The year
  • fertility of crosses between differently styled plants ( letter from Fritz Müller, 1 January 1882
  • working at the effects of Carbonate of Ammonia on roots,’ Darwin wrote, ‘the chief result being that
  • for some hours in a weak solution of C. of Ammonia’. Darwins interest in root response and the
  • London on 6 and 16 March, respectively. In January, Darwin corresponded with George John
  • François Marie Glaziou (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from Arthur de Souza Corrêa, 20
  • experiments had been conducted to lend support to Darwins theory of pangenesis (see
  • He was eager to write up the results on Brazilian cane, with Darwin providing a detailed outline: ‘I
  • probably intending to test its effects on chlorophyll ( letter to Joseph Fayrer, 30 March 1882 ). …
  • we know about the life of any one plant or animal!’ ( letter to Henry Groves, 3 April 1882 ). He
  • of seeing the flowers &amp; experimentising on them’ ( letter to J. E. Todd, 10 April 1882 ). …
  • find stooping over the microscope affects my heart’ ( letter to Henry Groves, 3 April 1882 ). …
  • sooner or later write differently about evolution’ ( letter to John Murray, 21 January 1882 ). The
  • leaves into their burrows ( Correspondence vol. 29, letter from J. F. Simpson, 8 November 1881
  • on the summit, whence it rolls down the sides’ ( letter from J. F. Simpson, 7 January 1882 ). The
  • Anthony Rich, he shared several of his sonsachievements. Leonard had been appointed to observe the
  • is always easier to write than to speak,’ she wrote to Leonard, ‘&amp; so though I shall see you so
  • … &amp; have been able to be to him’ (letter from Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin, [21? April 1882] (DAR

2.7 Joseph Moore, Midland Union medal

Summary

< Back to Introduction The Midland Union was an association of natural history societies and field clubs across the Midland counties, intended to facilitate – especially through its journal The Midland Naturalist – ‘the interchange of ideas’ and…

Matches: 10 hits

  • It was decided at the Unions annual meeting in July 1880 to award an annualDarwin Prizefor the
  • which could include, if he chose, a specially designedDarwin medalin either gold or bronze. The
  • and useful work’. A Manchester Guardian article, ‘Darwin and local scientific societies’, …
  • figure, and there was added pride in his Midland origins. Darwins permission had been sought for
  • with characteristic kindness and absence of condescension. Darwin wrote, ‘their wish to name the
  • source of happiness throughout life’.The design of the Darwin medal was appropriately entrusted to
  • his own determined efforts. His bust-length portrayal of Darwin in three-quarter view, signed in
  • On the reverse an inscription runs round the edge: ‘The Darwin medal founded by the Midland Union of
  • date of creation designed and first produced in 1880 
 computer-readable date 1880-01-01
  • and Field Clubs of the Midland Counties , 3:32 (August 1880), preface and pp. 1812. Journal of

Life of Erasmus Darwin

Summary

The Life of Erasmus Darwin (1879) was a curious departure for Darwin. It was intended as a biographical note to accompany an essay on Erasmus's scientific work by the German writer Ernst Krause. But Darwin became immersed in his grandfather's…

Matches: 20 hits

  • … scientific work by the German writer Ernst Krause. But Darwin became immersed in his grandfather& …
  • … his grandfather's mind and character. To compose the work, Darwin gathered materials and …
  • … book into grist for controversy.  In February 1879, Darwin received an unusual birthday …
  • … an essay by Ernst Krause on the evolutionary ideas of Darwin's grandfather. Darwin was familiar …
  • … poems, The Botanic Garden and Temple of Nature . But Darwin had never known his grandfather, …
  • … '; ' It piles up the glory and would please Francis '. Darwin's cousin, …
  • … 'men of science'. The biographical sketch was thus a way for Darwin to trace his own …
  • … character. Once a celebrated poet and philosopher, Erasmus Darwin's fame had declined sharply …
  • … wholly & shamefully ignorant of my grandfathers life ', Darwin wrote to Krause on 14 March …
  • … storehouse of private thoughts and experiences. Reading it, Darwin said, was like ' having …
  • … Priory where he resided at his death, both appeared in Darwin's Life .   & …
  • … word “benevolent” has always been associated with Dr. Darwin by his friends '. She recalled an …
  • … bedside & made him a sign to be silent. He then said “Dr. Darwin I am the Jockey who is to ride …
  • … just at the last, & come in third or fourth'.  Darwin tried to verify such tales …
  • … in the Life , pp. 63–5.  One of Darwin's aims in assembling these episodes …
  • … which had been tarnished by previous biographies. Many of Darwin's relations had expressed …
  • … much regret that I did not do so '. On the top of Butler's letter, Emma Darwin wrote: & …
  • … the matter before the public '. He stated his case in a letter to the Athenaeum , a leading …
  • … stirred the pot with his next book Unconscious Memory (1880), devoting several entire chapters …
  • … rallied round and debated the best course of action. His son Leonard suggested inserting a flysheet …