To Charles Lyell 14 January [1860]
Summary
Review of Origin in Gardeners’ Chronicle [31 Dec 1859].
Criticises views of J. G. Jeffreys on non-migration of shells. Cites case of Galapagos shells.
Mentions Edward Forbes’s theory of submerged continental extensions. Cites Hooker’s [introductory] essay [in Flora Tasmaniae (1860)] for evidence against any recent connection between Australia and New Zealand.
Discusses Huxley’s views of hybrid sterility.
Questions whether Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire believed in species change. Mentions views of Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.
The distribution of cave insects.
CD’s study of man.
The problems of locating French and German translators.
Huxley’s criticism of Owen’s views on human classification.
The sale of Origin.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 14 Jan [1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.192) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2650 |
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 23 February [1860]
Summary
Gradation in the eye.
Hooker intends to reply [to W. H. Harvey’s article in Gard. Chron. (1860): 145–6].
Discusses Aspicarpa with respect to correlation.
Comments on monstrous animals.
Discusses objections of Bronn and Asa Gray to natural selection. Cites parallel between natural selection and Newton’s concept of gravitation.
Mentions German experiments on spontaneous generation.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 23 Feb [1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.200) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2707 |
To Charles Lyell 20 November [1860]
Summary
Admires Edward Forbes’s theory of continental extensions, but it will discourage investigation of distribution.
Mentions Oswald Heer’s proposed map of Atlantis.
Discusses extinction of plants caused by the glacial era. Migration of plants and animals during glacial period.
Encourages CL’s work [on Antiquity of man (1863)].
Comments on unfriendly reviews. Asks CL’s opinion about including a reply to reviewers in next edition of Origin.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 20 Nov [1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.233) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2989 |
To Charles Lyell 26 April [1858]
Summary
Comments on letter from Georg Hartung to CL dealing with erratic boulders.
Discusses migration of plants and animals.
A letter from Thomas Thomson on heat endured by temperate plants.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 26 Apr [1858] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.151) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2262 |
To Charles Lyell 4 [February 1863]
Summary
Thanks CL for "the great book" [Antiquity of man (1863)].
Richard Owen "ought to be ostracised by every Naturalist in England".
CL’s book will "give the whole subject of change of species an enormous advance".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 4 [Feb 1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.287) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3967 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 1857 ). Lyell reviewed the controversy surrounding Owen’s thesis in some detail in the last chapter of Antiquity of man , supporting Owen’s chief opponent in the debate, Thomas Henry Huxley ( C. Lyell 1863a , pp. 480–500). Owen responded with a long and vitriolic letter to the Athenæum , 21 February 1863, pp. 262–3, which fuelled further controversy (see letter from J. D. Hooker, [ …
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 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … J. D. Hooker, 6 October [1848] . Louis Agassiz was a leading advocate of polygenesis. CD’s precise reference here is unknown. For a number of years, he had been corresponding with various naturalists in India, particularly with Edward Blyth (see Correspondence vols. 5 and 6). The great revolt of the Bengal Army in 1857 …