To P. L. Sclater 22 May [1860–81]
Summary
CD has signed the enclosed with great pleasure.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Philip Lutley Sclater |
Date: | 22 May [1860-81] |
Classmark: | John Wilson (dealer) (1987) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-13839A |
To Cottage Gardener [after 8 May 1860]
Summary
Inquires whether "a Devonshire Bee-keeper" [T. W. Woodbury] who reported a common drone entering a hive of Ligurian bees [Cottage Gard. 24 (1860): 94] believes, with Andrew Knight, that queen bees are seldom fertilised by their own blood-relations. Asks how far a hive of common bees was from that of the Ligurians.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Cottage Gardener |
Date: | [after 8 May 1860] |
Classmark: | Cottage Gardener 24 (1860): 143 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2777 |
From B. P. Brent [May–June 1860?]
Summary
Cannot supply a case of atavism in canaries.
Will lend CD back issues of Cottage Gardener.
Cites case of bird (tumbler hen) laying egg in another’s nest.
Author: | Bernard Peirce Brent |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | [May–June 1860?] |
Classmark: | DAR 160.3: 297 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2778 |
To Roderick Impey Murchison 1 May [1860]
Summary
Much obliged for note from Alexander von Keyserling. Geologist going one inch with CD more important than naturalist going two or three.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Roderick Impey Murchison, 1st baronet |
Date: | 1 May [1860] |
Classmark: | The British Library (Surrogate RP 7400) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2779 |
From Charles Lyell 2 May 1860
Summary
It is small comfort to be told you will be succeeded in lineal descent by angels when Lamarck and Darwin have made your ancestors without souls. However, can the progressive system not be seen as most consonant with a higher destiny if all spiritual natures advance? The link of common descent to inferior beings like idiots should be obvious. Infants die before they become responsible. Pope’s An essay on Man [1733] shows how man was "In doubt to deem himself a God or Beast", without speculation on his genealogy.
Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 2 May 1860 |
Classmark: | The University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections (Lyell collection Coll-203/A3/5: 176–9) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2779A |
From Andrew Murray 3 May 1860
Summary
Responds to CD’s comments on his review of the Origin. Regrets lack of space often causes him to do injustice to CD and to himself. Agrees to alter some of his statements
and offers some evidence for his opinions on plant hybridising.
Sends references to papers mentioning cave insects. Paussi are not blind, as CD thinks, though some other insects that live in ants’ nests are. Each country over the world has its peculiar species of Paussi, though they all live in ants’ nests. "Physical condition I say – Natural Selection you say".
Author: | Andrew Dickson (Andrew) Murray |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 3 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 47: 153–153a |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2780 |
From Henry Doubleday 3 May 1860
Summary
Has read Origin with pleasure.
Has performed many experiments which confirm his opinion that primrose, oxlip, and cowslip are three distinct species.
Author: | Henry Doubleday |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 3 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 162.2: 237 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2781 |
To Charles Lyell 4 May [1860]
Summary
Is sending CL an arrow-head. Says John Lubbock tells of vast numbers of flint tools in peat in France. Urges CL to conduct further research on the subject.
Comments on paper by J. S. Newberry concerning palaeozoic deposits in America [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 29 (1860): 208–18]
and on A. von Keyserling’s view of species change.
Mentions J. W. Salter’s chart arranging Spirifer.
Comments on Andrew Murray’s paper on the Origin ["On Mr Darwin’s theory of the origin of species", Proc. R. Soc. Edinburgh 4 (1860): 274–91].
A Manchester newspaper article says CD has proved "might is right".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 4 May [1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.210) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2782 |
From J. S. Henslow 5 May 1860
Summary
Reports to CD on what he has found out about Elodea growing near Cambridge.
Sedgwick is speaking at [Cambridge] Philosophical Society on CD’s "supposed errors" [Camb. Herald & Huntingdonshire Gaz. 19 May 1860, pp. 3–4].
JSH wonders how Owen can be so savage toward CD’s views when his own are "to a certain extent of the same character".
Author: | John Stevens Henslow |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 5 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 186: 47 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2783 |
To Andrew Murray 5 May [1860]
Summary
Thanks for AM’s kindness.
CD did not understand him about "prepotency".
With respect to cave animals CD believes that on reflection AM will admit "that on creation doctrine, there has been surprising diversity for such similar habitation".
Has heard from A. von Keyserling who "makes no difficulty about imperfection of Geological Record".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Andrew Dickson (Andrew) Murray |
Date: | 5 May [1860] |
Classmark: | R. D. Pyrah (private collection) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2784 |
To J. D. Hooker 7 May [1860]
Summary
To understand Leschenaultia pollination CD requires field observations in the native country.
Has observed two forms of cowslips, which he calls male and female. The same two forms are found in primroses.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
Date: | 7 May [1860] |
Classmark: | DAR 115: 52 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2785 |
To T. H. Huxley 7 May [1860]
Summary
Observations on changes in physical proportions of pigeons.
The Saturday Review of 5 May has a defence of CD and THH by "a jolly good fellow".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
Date: | 7 May [1860] |
Classmark: | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 117) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2786 |
From Charles Lyell 7 May 1860
Summary
Saw Salter’s Spirifer specimens; a very good proof of indefinite modifiability.
Beginning to think gap between Cambrian and Lower Silurian enormous.
Édouard Lartet to give paper before Geological Society ["On coexistence of man with certain extinct quadrupeds", Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 16 (1859–60): 471–5].
Author: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 7 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 205.9: 396 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2787 |
To Charles Lyell 8 [May 1860]
Summary
Did not know about separation between Silurian and Cambrian.
Cannot attend Geological Society meeting.
Etty [Henrietta Darwin] ill.
Sedgwick in his attack at Cambridge Philosophical Society states "there must be [on CD’s theory] large genera not varying".
Discusses migration of plants and animals from Old World to New.
Views of Asa Gray on Aster.
Mentions flora of coal period.
Has been elected to Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 8 [May 1860] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.211) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2788 |
To Thomas Stewardson 8 May 1860
Summary
Acknowledges his election as Correspondent of Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Thomas Stewardson |
Date: | 8 May 1860 |
Classmark: | Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2789 |
To W. B. Tegetmeier 8 May [1860]
Summary
Thanks WBT for observations on colours of newly-hatched pigeons of different breeds. Asks if breeders have noticed any differences in lengths of time eggs were incubated in different breeds.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
Date: | 8 May [1860] |
Classmark: | Yale University: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (Yale Collection of American Literature: De Forest Family Papers (YCAL MSS 582) Box 2, folder 58, item 82 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2790 |
To J. S. Henslow 8 May [1860]
Summary
Comments on Richard Owen’s review of the Origin [in Edinburgh Rev. 111 (1860): 487–532]. Considers Owen unfair to CD and most ungenerous toward Hooker.
Expects Sedgwick to be fierce against him. Sedgwick also misrepresented CD in his Spectator review [24 Mar and 7 Apr 1860].
Compares natural selection to the undulatory theory of light as a hypothesis explaining a large number of facts.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | John Stevens Henslow |
Date: | 8 May [1860] |
Classmark: | DAR 93: A67–9 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2791 |
From William Masters 8 May 1860
Author: | William Masters |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 8 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 76 (ser. 2): 166–7 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2792 |
From H. C. Watson 10 May 1860
Summary
Returns reviews of Origin.
F. J. Pictet [Arch. Sci. Phys. & Nat. n.s. 7 (1860): 231–55] goes further than he himself realises.
Naturalists will resist CD’s views until faith in certain "impassable" barriers between existent species is shaken.
Gives CD an instance of convergence.
Author: | Hewett Cottrell Watson |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 10 May 1860 |
Classmark: | DAR 47: 160–1 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2793 |
To J. D. Hooker 11 May [1860]
Summary
Dissection of Leschenaultia convinces CD insect agency necessary for self-fertilisation in this case.
Primroses and cowslips seem universally to occur in two forms. Very curious to see which plants set seed.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Joseph Dalton Hooker |
Date: | 11 May [1860] |
Classmark: | DAR 115: 53 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2795 |
letter | (46) |
Darwin, C. R. | (34) |
Cattell, John | (2) |
Doubleday, Henry | (2) |
Lyell, Charles | (2) |
Brent, B. P. | (1) |
Darwin, C. R. | (12) |
Hooker, J. D. | (9) |
Lyell, Charles | (4) |
Henslow, J. S. | (3) |
Gray, Asa | (2) |
Darwin, C. R. | (46) |
Hooker, J. D. | (10) |
Lyell, Charles | (6) |
Henslow, J. S. | (4) |
Cattell, John | (2) |