Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookore conclusions about polymorphism, I should be very
glad to hear the result: it is delightful to have many points fermenting
in one's brain, and your letters and conclusions always give one plenty
of this same fermentation. I wish I could even make any return for all
your facts, views, and suggestions.
LETTER 23. TO J.D. HOOKER.
(23/1. The following extract gives the germ of what developed into an
interesting discussion in the "Origin" (Edition I., page 147). Darwin
wrote, "I suspect also that some cases of compensation which have been
advanced and likewise some other facts, may be merged under a more
general principle: namely, that natural selection is continually trying
to economise in every part of the organism." He speaks of the general
belief of botanists in compensation, but does not quote any instances.)
[September 1846].
Have you ever thought of G. St. Hilaire's "loi de balancement" (23/2.
According to Darwin ("Variation of Animals and Plants," 2nd edition,
II., page 335) the law of balancement was propounded by Goethe and
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772-1844) nearly at the same time, but he gives
no reference to the works of these authors. It appears, however, from
his son Isidore's "Vie, Travaux etc., d'Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire,"
Paris 1847, page 214, that the law was given in his "Philosophie
Anatomique," of which the first part was published in 1818. Darwin
(ibid.) gives some instances of the law holding good in plants.), as
applied to plants? I am well aware that some zoologists quite reject it,
but it certainly appears to me that it often holds good with animals.
You are no doubt aware of the kind of facts I refer to, such as
great development of canines in the carnivora apparently causing
a diminution--a compensation or balancement--in the small size of
premolars, etc. I have incidentally noticed some analogous remarks on
plants, but have never seen it discussed by botanists. Can you think
of cases in any one species in genus, or genus in family, with certain
parts extra developed, and some adjoining parts reduced? In varieties
of the same species double flowers and large fruits seem something of
this--want of pollen and of seeds balancing with the increased number
of petals and development of fruit. I hope we shall see you here this
autumn.
(24/1. In this year (1847) Darwin wrote a short review of Waterhouse's
"Natural History of the Mammalia," of which the first volume had
appeared. It was published in "The Annals and Magazine of Natural
History," Volume XIX., page 53. The following sentence is the only one
which shows even a trace of evolution: "whether we view classification
as a mere contrivance to convey much information in a single word, or as
something more than a memoria technica, and as connected with the laws
of creation, we cannot doubt that where such important differences in
the generative and cerebral systems, as distinguish the Marsupiata from
the Placentata, run through two series of animals, they ought to be
arranged under heads of equal value."
A characteristic remark occurs in reference to Geographical
Distribution, "that noble subject of which we as yet but dimly see the
full bearing."
The following letter seems to be of sufficient interest to be published
in spite of the obscurities caused by the want of date. It seems to have
been written after 1847, in which year a dispute involving Dr. King and
several "arctic gentlemen" was carried on in the "Athenaeum." Mr. Darwin
speaks of "Natural History Instructions for the present expedition."
This may possibly refer to the "Admiralty Manual of Scientific Enquiry"
(1849), for it is clear, from the prefatory memorandum of the Lords
of the Admiralty, that they believed the manual would be of use in the
forthcoming expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin.)
LETTER 24. TO E. CRESY.
(24/2. Mr. Cresy was, we believe, an architect: his friendship with Mr.
Darwin dates from the settlement at Down.)
Down [after 1847].
Although I have never particularly attended to the points in dispute
between Dr. (Richard) King and the other Arctic gentlemen, yet I have
carefully read all the articles in the "Athenaeum," and took from them
much the same impression as you convey in your letter, for which I thank
you. I believe that old sinner, Sir J. Barrow (24/3. Sir John Barrow,
(1764-1848): Secretary to the Admiralty. has been at the bottom of all
the money wasted over the naval expeditions. So strongly have I felt on
this subject, that, when I was appointed on a committee for Nat. Hist.
instructions for the present expedition, had I been able to attend I had
resolved to express my opinion on the little advantage, comparatively
to the expense, gained by them. There have been, I believe, from
the beginning eighteen expeditions; this strikes me as monstrous,
considering how little is known, for instance, on the interior of
Australia. The country has paid dear for Sir John's hobbyhorse. I have
very little doubt that Dr. King is quite right in the advantage of land
expeditions as far as geography is concerned; and that is now the chief
object. (24/4. This sentence would imply that Darwin thought it hopeless
to rescue Sir J. Franklin's expedition. If so, the letter must be, at
least, as late as 1850. If the eighteen expeditions mentioned above
are "search expeditions," it would also bring the date of the letter to
1850.)
LETTER 25. TO RICHARD OWEN. Down [March 26th, 1848].
My dear Owen
I do not know whether your MS. instructions are sent in; but even
if they are not sent in, I daresay what I am going to write will be
absolutely superfluous (25/1. The results of Mr. Darwin's experience
given in the above letter were embodied by Prof. Owen in the section "On
the Use of the Microscope on Board Ship," forming part of the article
"Zoology" in the "Manual of Scientific Enquiry, Prepared for the Use of
Her Majesty's Navy" (London, 1849).), but I have derived such infinitely
great advantage from my new simple microscope, in comparison with the
one which I used on board the "Beagle," and which was recommended to me
by R. Brown ("Life and Letters," I., page 145.), that I cannot forego
the mere chance of advantage of urging this on you. The leading point
of difference consists simply in having the stage for saucers very large
and fixed. Mine will hold a saucer three inches in inside diameter.
I have never seen such a microscope as mine, though Chevalier's (from
whose plan many points of mine are taken), of Paris, approaches it
pretty closely. I fully appreciate the utter ABSURDITY of my giving
you advice about means of dissecting; but I have appreciated myself the
enormous disadvantage of having worked with a bad instrument, though
thought a few years since the best. Please to observe that without you
call especial attention to this point, those ignorant of Natural History
will be sure to get one of the fiddling instruments sold in shops.
If you thought fit, I would point out the differences, which, from my |