To Charles Lyell 4 [February 1863]
Summary
Thanks CL for "the great book" [Antiquity of man (1863)].
Richard Owen "ought to be ostracised by every Naturalist in England".
CL’s book will "give the whole subject of change of species an enormous advance".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 4 [Feb 1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.287) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3967 |
To Charles Lyell 17 [February 1863]
Summary
Criticises Dana’s classification of man and his use of fore-limbs as a basis for systematic classification.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 17 [Feb 1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.288) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3993 |
To Charles Lyell 6 March [1863]
Summary
Comments at length on CL’s book [Antiquity of man (1863)]. CD is "greatly disappointed that you have not given judgment and spoken fairly out what you think about the derivation of species".
Lists large number of queries concerning minor points.
Praises especially the chapters on language and glaciers.
Comments on the temperature of Africa during the glacial period, especially with regard to the views of Hooker.
Mentions Owen’s paper on the aye-aye [Rep. BAAS 32 (1862) pt 2: 114–16].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 6 Mar [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.289) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4028 |
To Charles Lyell 12–13 March [1863]
Summary
[On Antiquity of man] CD is "convinced that at times … you have … given up immutability". "A clear expression from you, if you could have given it, would have been potent with the public."
Objects to CL’s description of CD’s view "as a modification of Lamarck’s doctrine". Quotes Henrietta [Darwin]’s observations on this description.
Comments on CL’s controversy with Owen concerning the human brain.
The controversy between Falconer and CL.
The "wretched" review of CL [Antiquity of man, Athenæum 14 Feb 1863, pp. 219–21] and Huxley [Man’s place in nature].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 12–13 Mar [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.290) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4038 |
To Charles Lyell 17 March [1863]
Summary
His better opinion [of work of Boucher de Perthes].
Explains his position on CL’s treatment of species.
Mentions positive response to his ideas on the part of a German professor [Ernst Haeckel], Alphonse de Candolle, and a botanical palaeontologist [Gaston de Saporta].
Notes negative reaction of entomologists.
Mentions Falconer’s objections [to Antiquity].
Mentions work of Hooker.
Comments on paper by Owen ["On the aye-aye", Rep. BAAS 32 (1862) pt 2: 114–16]
and CD’s review of Bates’s paper [Collected papers 2: 87–92].
Thinks Natural History Review is excellent.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 17 Mar [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.291) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4047 |
To Charles Lyell 18 April [1863]
Summary
Describes a letter he has written to the Athenæum in which he mentions CL’s views on species modification ["Doctrine of heterogeny", Collected papers 2: 78–80].
Comments on criticism of Lyell’s book [Antiquity] by Falconer and others.
Mentions his eczema.
Invites the Lyells to visit.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 18 Apr [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.294) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4106 |
To Charles Lyell [7 May 1863]
Summary
Falconer’s letter [attacking CL, Athenæum 4 Apr 1863, pp. 459–60] is most unjust.
Regrets his letter [to Athenæum, on heterogeny] now criticised by Owen.
Comments on article by Samuel Haughton [On the form of cells made by wasps – with an appendix on the origin of species (1863)].
Mentions forthcoming reviews by Asa Gray [in Am. J. Sci.].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | [7 May 1863] |
Classmark: | DAR 185: 46 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4145 |
To Charles Lyell 14 August [1863]
Summary
Congratulates CL on finding Arctic shells.
Comments on paper by E. B. Hunt ["On the origin, growth, substructure and chronology of the Florida reef", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 35 (1863): 197–210].
Mentions J. D. Dana’s health.
George Bentham’s statement on species [Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (1863): xi–xxix].
Praises Bates’s book [Naturalist on the river Amazons (1863)].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Charles Lyell, 1st baronet |
Date: | 14 Aug [1863] |
Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.296) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4267 |