From Thomas Henry Huxley 13 January 1862
Summary
Against all predictions his Edinburgh lecture was well received [Evidence as to man’s place in nature (1863)].
Took his old line about problem of infertility of hybrids as a test of CD’s views.
Report [from a newspaper] not quite right about what he said, but they have not refuted his statement that some form of progressive development theory is certainly true, nor that man and the apes come from same stock. Owen has gone in for progressive development in second edition of the Palaeontology [1861].
Author: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 13 Jan 1862 |
Classmark: | DAR 166.2: 290 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3383 |
To T. H. Huxley 14 [January 1862]
Summary
On success of THH’s Edinburgh lectures.
Agrees that THH is right that the hybrid question is a "hiatus" [in the argument for natural selection] but he overrates it. Crossed varieties frequently produce sterile offspring. On this question asks THH to read his Primula paper [Collected papers 2: 45–63]. CD suspects sterility will come to be viewed as a selected character.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
Date: | 14 [Jan 1862] |
Classmark: | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 167) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3386 |
From T. H. Huxley 20 January 1862
Summary
The Witness attacks THH’s lecture.
Assures CD he spoke more favourably of his doctrines than the reports show.
Agrees with CD’s arguments on sterility of hybrids and predicts physiological experiments will produce physiological species sterile inter se. Has come even closer to CD’s view especially since Primula paper. Will soon be more Darwinian than CD.
Author: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 20 Jan 1862 |
Classmark: | DAR 166.2: 291 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3396 |
To T. H. Huxley 22 January [1862]
Summary
Much amused at the Witness.
Pleased at what THH says on hybridity.
Odd that objectors never allude to the arguments that alone have weight in their favour – affinities, rudimentary organs, etc.
Has 16 ill in the house!
Natural History Review a capital number.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Thomas Henry Huxley |
Date: | 22 Jan [1862] |
Classmark: | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 252) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3403 |
letter | (4) |
Darwin, C. R. | (2) |
Huxley, T. H. | (2) |
Darwin, C. R. | (2) |
Huxley, T. H. | (2) |
Darwin, C. R. | (4) |
Huxley, T. H. |