Summary

August Laugel has sent him a copy of his review [of Origin] in Revue des Deux-Mondes [26 (1860): 644–71].

Summary

Asks for information about birds eating berries of a mountain-ash.

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Thanks for information about French dictionaries.

Asks that Westminster Review [of Apr 1860] be sent.

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Has no drone cells in collection of honeycombs. Discusses construction of cells by bees and ability of bees to judge distances in constructing comb.

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Thanks FJP for his review which CD has received and read. There have been many reviews in England opposed to CD but FJP’s is "the single one which seems … perfectly fair & just & candid". The only difference between them is that CD "attaches much more weight to the explanation of facts, & somewhat less weight to the difficulties" than FJP. "I always jump at any theory which groups & explains facts".

Would be proud to send FJP a copy of his Journal of researches.

Summary

Reminds JSH to send "sketch & account of the wasp’s comb in transitional state from horizontal to vertical, & the country whence procured".

Asks for information on spread of Anacharis [Elodea].

Sedgwick [in criticism of Origin] was not very fair, but Murray says it is splendid for selling copies to "the unfortunate students".

Summary

Thinks AG’s review [of Origin] will aid much in making people think about subject.

Has been savagely and unfairly reviewed by Adam Sedgwick in the Spectator [24 Mar 1860],

but thinks F. J. Pictet’s review in opposition ["Sur l’origine de l’espèce", Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. n.s. 7 (1860): 231–55] a very fair one.

Summary

Has not yet read Huxley’s review of Origin in Westminster Review [Apr 1860].

F. J. Pictet has published an excellent review, though opposed to CD, in Bibliothèque Universelle de Genève [Mar 1860].

Summary

Variations in sizes of bees’ cells.

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Comments enthusiastically on WBC’s review ["The theory of development in nature", Br. & Foreign Med.-Chir. Rev. 25 (1860): 367–404].

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Asks AW about archaeological evidence concerning the first appearance of dray horses.

Summary

Much interested in MTM’s lecture at Royal Institution ["On the relation between the abnormal and normal formations in plants", Notes Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 3 (1860): 223–7].

Asks for information about crossing of varieties of peas. Describes his own experimental results: "the offspring out of the same pod, instead of being intermediate, was very nearly like the two pure parents; yet in one, there was a trace of the cross & the next generation showed still more plainly their mongrel origins".

Summary

Owen on the branchiae of Balanidae.

The Edinburgh Review article on the Origin [by Owen, 111 (1860): 487–532] full of misrepresentations, with a brutal attack on THH.

Summary

Asks that a copy of Origin [1860] be sent to R. A. von Kölliker.

A venomous review "manifestly by Owen" has appeared in Edinburgh Review.

Sedgwick has been fierce in Spectator, but fair and open.

Summary

Asks for information about Anacharis.

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Orders a copy of Matthew 1831 from a bookseller.

Summary

W. B. Carpenter’s review of Origin [in Br. & Foreign Med.-Chir. Rev. 25 (1860): 367–404] "very good and well balanced, but not brilliant".

"There is a brilliant review by Huxley" [Westminster Rev. 17 (1860): 541–70].

Asa Gray sends good case of selection producing black pigs in Virginia.

Great blow to CD that CL cannot admit potency of natural selection.

Owen’s review in Edinburgh Review [111 (1860): 487–532] "extremely malignant, clever".

Patrick Matthew has published extract in Gardeners’ Chronicle [7 Apr 1860] from his Naval timber and arboriculture [1831], a complete but not developed anticipation of natural selection.

Summary

Has received copies of translation of Origin. Thanks HGB for undertaking it.

Comments on review by F. J. Pictet ["Sur l’origine de l’espèce, par Charles Darwin: analyse et critique",Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. n.s. 7 (1860): 231–55].

Summary

Asks Williams & Norgate to forward one copy of the German translation of Origin (Bronn trans. 1860) to Jan van der Hoeven, and another to Jacob Moleschott.

Summary

On THH’s lecture at Royal Institution ["On species and races, and their origin", Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 3 (1858–62): 195–200]. Praises eloquence of his conclusion.

Has sent first part of German translation of Origin to THH.