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From H. C. Watson   13 August 1855

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Summary

Is having difficulties marking close species on the list of British plants.

In all his attempts to advance geographical botany he is stopped by the "application and signification of the word ""species"" " the use of which is both "indefinite and variable". He encloses his list of "Categories of Species".

Author:  Hewett Cottrell Watson
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  13 Aug 1855
Classmark:  DAR 98: A5–A6, DAR 9: 15A
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1740

To J. D. Hooker   14 [August 1855]

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Summary

When JDH goes to Germany, will he ask seed men if their marvellous true breeding lines are the result of selection.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:  14 [Aug 1855]
Classmark:  DAR 114: 145
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1741

To J. D. Hooker   18 [October 1855]

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Summary

Seeds of two tropical island plants have floated for ten days.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Joseph Dalton Hooker
Date:  18 [Oct 1855]
Classmark:  DAR 114: 146
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1742

From H. C. Watson   17 August 1855

Summary

Sends a catalogue of plants [missing] with the close species marked.

Author:  Hewett Cottrell Watson
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  17 Aug 1855
Classmark:  DAR 181: 28
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1743

To the Council of the Royal Society   18 August 1855

Summary

Recommends publication of W. B. Carpenter’s paper on Orbitolites [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 146 (1856): 181–236]. Discusses style and the cost of the plates.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Council of the Royal Society
Date:  18 Aug 1855
Classmark:  The Royal Society (RR3: 38)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1744

To W. D. Fox   22 August [1855]

Summary

Reports on his collection of skeletons of young and adults of various breeds of fowls and specimens still needed.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Darwin Fox
Date:  22 Aug [1855]
Classmark:  Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 94a)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1745

From Edward Blyth   22–3 August 1855

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Summary

Gives extracts from a letter by Thomas Hutton.

Rabbits are kept (generally by Europeans) in the NW. provinces and breed freely. Canaries are not well adapted to the climate. Reports on domestic cats and pigeons of the area. EB gives references to further information on cats, pigeons, and silkworms.

[CD’s notes are an abstract of this letter.]

Author:  Edward Blyth
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  22–3 Aug 1855
Classmark:  DAR 98: A79–A84
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1746

From H. C. Watson   23 August 1855

Summary

Close species in large and small genera.

Artificiality of botanical classification.

Author:  Hewett Cottrell Watson
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  23 Aug 1855
Classmark:  DAR 181: 29
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1747

To J. S. Henslow   23 [August or September 1855]

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Summary

Asks JSH to identify an umbellifer.

Describes his efforts to compare number of seeds of wild and cultivated plants.

Asks that more wild celery be collected and seeds counted. Seeks to verify whether "most typical form produces most seed" and whether cultivation lessens fertility.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  John Stevens Henslow
Date:  23 [Aug or Sept] 1855
Classmark:  DAR 93: A112–13
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1748

To Asa Gray   24 August [1855]

Summary

"Close" species in large and small genera.

Alphonse de Candolle on geographical distribution [Géographie botanique raisonnée (1855)].

Species variability.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Asa Gray
Date:  24 Aug [1855]
Classmark:  Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (10)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1749

To H. C. Watson   [26 August 1855]

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Summary

On geographical distribution of plants. Plant systematics and natural classification.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Hewett Cottrell Watson
Date:  [26 Aug 1855]
Classmark:  DAR 185: 53
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1750

To William Bernhard Tegetmeier   31 August [1855]

Summary

Thanks for WBT’s offer to supply carcasses of good poultry breeds. Encloses list [missing] of birds in which he is interested.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Bernhard Tegetmeier
Date:  31 Aug [1855]
Classmark:  Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1751

From Edward Blyth   7 September [1855]

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Summary

Comments on the ease with which different species of Felis can be tamed.

Asian species of wild cattle.

Variation in colour of jackals.

Discusses the difficulties of differentiating between varieties and species. EB recommends Herman Schlegel’s definition of species [in Essay on the physiognomy of serpents, trans. T. S. Traill (1843)]. Problems of defining species of wolves and squirrels. Pigeons and doves afford an illustration of "clusters of species, varieties, or races". Various pigeons have local species in different parts of India and Burma, some of which interbreed where their ranges cross; as do the local species of Coracias [see Natural selection, p. 259].

[CD’s notes are an abstract of this memorandum.]

Author:  Edward Blyth
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  7 Sept [1855]
Classmark:  DAR 98: A51–5
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1752

To Henry Allen Wedgwood   5 September [1855]

Summary

Thanks HAW for columbine and asparagus seeds and for counting pods for him. CD is astonished at the number of pods. Needs more seeds for one of his experiments.

Has he met Huxley yet? He is a very clever man.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Henry Allen (Harry) Wedgwood
Date:  5 Sept [1855]
Classmark:  Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Hope Entomological collections)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1753

To W. B. Tegetmeier   [13 September 1855]

Summary

Would welcome any distinct breed of poultry and would be glad to have any good pigeons.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  William Bernhard Tegetmeier
Date:  [13 Sept 1855]
Classmark:  Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1754

From Edward Blyth   [22 September 1855]

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Summary

Gives extract from a letter from Capt. R. Tickell: rabbits are not bred by the Burmese; common European and Chinese geese are bred but have probably only recently been introduced.

EB gives references to works illustrating the dog-like instinct of N. American wolves.

Discusses reason and instinct; ascribes both to man and animals. Comments on various instincts, e. g. homing, migratory, parental, constructive, and defensive. Reasoning in animals; cattle learning to overcome fear of passing trains.

Hybrid sterility as an indication of distinct species. Interbreeding as an indication of common parentage.

Enlarges upon details given by J. C. Prichard [in The natural history of man (1843)].

Adaptation of the two-humped camel to cold climates. Camel hybrids.

Doubts that domestic fowl or fancy pigeons have ever reverted to the wild.

Feral horses and cattle of S. America.

Believes the "creole pullets" to be a case of inaccurate description.

Variations in skulls between species of wild boar.

Pigs are so prolific that the species might be expected to cross.

Milk production of cows and goats.

Sheep and goats of lower Bengal.

Indian breeds of horses.

Variation in Asiatic elephants.

Spread of American tropical and subtropical plants in the East.

EB distinguishes between races and artificially-produced breeds.

[CD’s notes are an abstract of this memorandum.]

Author:  Edward Blyth
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  [22 Sept 1855]
Classmark:  DAR 98: A85–A92
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1755

From John Rice Crowe   27 September 1855

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Summary

Forwards two specimens of beans found on north coast of Norway.

Author:  John Rice Crowe
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  27 Sept 1855
Classmark:  DAR 205.2: 222
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1756

To T. H. Huxley   29 [September 1855]

Summary

Responds to THH’s questioning of his observations on cirripede anatomy with extensive discussion of what he observed. Admits his elementary knowledge of microscopical structures but seriously doubts he has erred. Cement glands, ovarian tubes, etc.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Thomas Henry Huxley
Date:  29 [Sept 1855]
Classmark:  Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 21); Janet Huxley (private collection)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1757

From H. C. Watson   2 October 1855

Summary

Expresses his general opinion on the relative closeness of species in large and small genera. Warns that the size of a genus is dependent upon the locality and extent of the flora studied, that definitions of close species are not consistent, and that peculiarities of botanical classification will influence any attempt to assess the comparative closeness of species in different genera.

Author:  Hewett Cottrell Watson
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  2 Oct 1855
Classmark:  DAR 181: 30
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1758

To T. H. Huxley   3 [September 1855]

Summary

Approves drawing. No one who cannot draw should attempt to be a naturalist. Suggests corrections to [Lepas?] drawing. Comments on position of ganglia, cement glands, and stomach.

Author:  Charles Robert Darwin
Addressee:  Thomas Henry Huxley
Date:  3 [Sept 1855]
Classmark:  Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 18)
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-1759
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