To W. D. Fox [25 January 1841]
Summary
Birds has gone to the printer.
Continues "to collect all kinds of facts about ""varieties and species"" " for his "some-day work".
Would be grateful for descriptions of offspring of crossbred domestic animals.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | William Darwin Fox |
Date: | [25 Jan 1841] |
Classmark: | Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 59) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-586 |
To G. R. Gray [February 1841]
Summary
In a revise [of Birds] CD has altered "Colaptes Chilensis Vigors" to "Chrysoptilus Chilensis G. R. Gray". Is that right?
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | George Robert Gray |
Date: | [Feb 1841] |
Classmark: | The British Library (Egerton MS 2348: 239) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-587 |
From G. E. Bearpark 12 February 1841
Summary
Requesting information about membership of the Geological Society of London.
Author: | George Edmundson Bearpark |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 12 Feb 1841 |
Classmark: | Geological Society of London (GSL/L/R/6/126) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-587F |
To G. R. Gray [February–March 1841]
Summary
Sends proof of index of final number of Birds for checking.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | George Robert Gray |
Date: | [Feb–Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | The British Library (Egerton MS 2348: 240) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-589 |
To Charles Lyell [21 February – 4 April 1841]
Summary
Answers a number of queries from Lyell concerning geography and geology of Chiloé Island and its relationship to the Cordilleras.
Asks about "perched rocks" on Jura and notes their relevance to Louis Agassiz’s theory. Discusses Agassiz’s view on Jura.
Mentions seeing Robert Brown.
Notes R. I. Murchison’s discovery of shells in central England.
Weakness of negative evidence.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [21 Feb – 4 Apr 1841] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.26) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-590 |
To M. J. Berkeley [March 1841]
Summary
Looks forward to the paper on CD’s edible fungus specimen from Tierra del Fuego [read 16 Mar 1841; Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 19 (1845): 37–43].
Sends a correction: Fagus betuloides, not F. antarctica, is the common tree of Tierra del Fuego.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | [Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/47) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-591 |
To Charles Lyell [March 1841]
Summary
Discusses the role of ice in determining the geological features of the Jura. Mentions view of Agassiz. Objects to idea of "a [sea of ice] carrying rocks". Notes Agassiz’s earlier view of "ice expanded in the line of the Great Swiss Valley". Comments on Pentlands.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.27) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-592 |
To Louis Agassiz 1 March [1841]
Summary
Has enjoyed reading LA’s book [Études sur les glaciers (1840)].
Hopes LA will pardon manner in which CD has alluded to his work on glaciers in his Journal of researches, of which he sends a copy.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Jean Louis Rodolphe (Louis) Agassiz |
Date: | 1 Mar [1841] |
Classmark: | Houghton Library, Harvard University (MS Am 1419: 280) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-593 |
To Charles Lyell [9 March 1841]
Summary
Defends his theory [in "Parallel roads of Glen Roy" (1839), Collected papers 1: 87–137] against the view that the "roads" were formed by glacial action.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [9 Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.23) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-594 |
To Charles Lyell [12 March 1841]
Summary
Discusses at length Louis Agassiz’s book [Études sur les glaciers (1840)] and Agassiz’s explanation of moraines. Defends his own theory of the importance of floating ice. Relates glacier theory to his own interpretation of Glen Roy.
Mentions a paper he is writing on South American boulders and till [Collected papers 1: 145–63].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [12 Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.25) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-595 |
To A. Y. Spearman 27 March 1841
Summary
The Smith, Elder & Co. account for the now published fifth number of the third part of the Zoology is presented.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Alexander Young Spearman, 1st baronet |
Date: | 27 Mar 1841 |
Classmark: | The National Archives (TNA) (T1/4585 paper 10688) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-595A |
To William Lonsdale 14 April [1841]
Summary
Sends paper on erratic boulders [Collected papers 1: 145–63] to the Society. Has taken two months to complete it because of illness.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | William Lonsdale |
Date: | 14 Apr [1841] |
Classmark: | Geological Society of London (GSL/L/R/6/299) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-597 |
From J. S. Henslow 19 April 1841
Summary
Reports observations on the behaviour of captive harvest mouse and dormouse. When descending sticks mouse uses its tail like a prehensile-tailed monkey.
Author: | John Stevens Henslow |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 19 Apr 1841 |
Classmark: | DAR 166: 176 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-598 |
From W. C. Redfield May 1841
Summary
Is sending through John Blunt a copy of the last geological report of the state of New York along with a short paper on the tornado that passed through the state of New Jersey in June 1835.
Author: | William C. Redfield |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | May 1841 |
Classmark: | Yale University: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (William C. Redfield’s outbound letter book 1835–41 (z117 00151 2) p. 239) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-598A |
To A. Y. Spearman 17 May 1841
Summary
The third number of part four of the Zoology has been published. CD transmits the Smith, Elder & Co. account.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Alexander Young Spearman, 1st baronet |
Date: | 17 May 1841 |
Classmark: | The National Archives (TNA) (T1/4585 paper 10688) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-598B |
To E. W. Brayley 8 May [1841]
Summary
Thanks recipient for finding reference on carbonate of lime. Doubtful when he will publish his geological memoranda.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Edward William Brayley |
Date: | 8 May [1841] |
Classmark: | Christie’s, London (dealers) (online 31 October – 8 November 2018, lot 3) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-598F |
To Charles Lyell 6 [July 1841]
Summary
Discusses various types of coral reefs on which he has been collecting notes. Views of C. G. Ehrenberg. His conception of the formation of Bermuda.
Pessimistic about the effect of his poor health on his scientific work.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 6 [July 1841] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.24) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-602 |
From Charles Lyell [c. 16 July 1841]
Summary
Regrets not seeing CD before leaving on trip [to the U. S.]. CD’s move from London will be a privation for CL.
Returns charts on coral reefs.
Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | [c. 16 July 1841] |
Classmark: | DAR 98: A1–2 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-604 |
To W. D. Fox [23 August 1841]
Summary
Consents to be godfather to WDF’s child.
Sends family news.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | William Darwin Fox |
Date: | [23 Aug 1841] |
Classmark: | Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 61) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-606 |
To Gardeners’ Chronicle [16 August 1841]
Summary
Reports detailed observations on humble-bees boring holes in flowers to extract nectar instead of brushing over the stamens and pistils. Some hive-bees seem to use the holes made by the humble-bees; speculates that this would be a case of acquired knowledge in insects.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Gardeners’ Chronicle |
Date: | [16 Aug 1841] |
Classmark: | Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette no. 34, 21 August 1841, p. 550 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-607 |
letter | (33) |
Darwin, C. R. | (25) |
Abberley, John | (1) |
Aikin, Arthur | (1) |
Bearpark, G. E. | (1) |
Blomefield, Leonard | (1) |
Agassiz, Louis | (1) |
Berkeley, M. J. | (1) |
Blomefield, Leonard | (2) |
Brayley, E. W. | (1) |
Darwin, C. R. | (8) |
Darwin, Emma | (2) |
Fox, W. D. | (3) |
Gaimard, J. P. | (1) |
Gardeners’ Chronicle | (1) |
Geological Society of London | (1) |
Gray, G. R. | (2) |
Jenyns, Leonard | (2) |
Leighton, W. A. | (1) |
Lonsdale, William | (1) |
Lyell, Charles | (5) |
Owen, Richard | (1) |
Spearman, A. Y. | (2) |
Wedgwood, Emma | (2) |
Darwin, C. R. | (33) |
Lyell, Charles | (6) |
Blomefield, Leonard | (3) |
Fox, W. D. | (3) |
Jenyns, Leonard | (3) |