...W., my son, is now at Christ's College, in the rooms above yours. My old Gyp, Impey, was astounded to hear that he was my son, and very simply asked, "Why, has he been long married?" What pleasant hours those were when I used to come and drink coffee with you daily! I am reminded of old days by my third boy having just begun collecting beetles, and he caught the other day Brachinus crepitans, of immortal Whittlesea Mere memory. My blood boiled with old ardour when he caught a Licinus--a prize unknown to me...
CHARLES DARWIN TO JOHN LUBBOCK.
Thursday [before 1857].
Dear Lubbock, I do not know whether you care about beetles, but for the chance I send this in a bottle, which I never remember having seen; though it is excessively rash to speak from a twenty-five-year old remembrance.
Whenever we meet you can tell me whether you know it...
I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of the trumpet, when I read about the capturing of rare beetles--is not this a magnanimous simile for a decayed entomologist?--It really almost makes me long to begin collecting again. Adios.
"Floreat Entomologia"!--to which toast at Cambridge I have drunk many a glass of wine. So again, "Floreat Entomologia." N.B. I have NOT now been drinking any glasses full of wine.
Yours, C.D.
CHARLES DARWIN TO HERBERT SPENCER.
Down, November 25th [1858].
Dear Sir, I beg permission to thank you sincerely for your very kind present of your Essays. ('Essays, Scientific, Political, and Speculative,' by Herbert Spencer, 1858-74.) I have already read several of them with much interest.
Your remarks on the general argument of the so-called development theory seems to me admirable. I am at present preparing an Abstract of a larger work on the changes of species; but I treat the subject simply as a naturalist, and not from a general point of view, otherwise, in my opinion, your argument could not have been improved on, and might have been quoted by me with great advantage. Your article on Music has also interested me much, for I had often thought on the subject, and had come to nearly the same conclusion with you, though unable to support the notion in any detail. Furthermore, by a curious coincidence, expression has been for years a persistent subject with me for LOOSE speculation, and I must entirely agree with you that all expression has some biological meaning. Ihope to profit by your criticism on style, and with very best thanks, I beg leave to remain, dear Sir, Yours truly obliged, C. DARWIN.
CHARLES DARWIN TO J.D. HOOKER.
Down, December 24th [1858].
My dear Hooker, Your news about your unsolicited salary and house is jolly, and creditable to the Government. My room (28 x 19), with divided room above, with ALLFIXTURES (and painted), not furniture, and plastered outside, cost about 500 pounds. I am heartily glad of this news.
Your facts about distribution are, indeed, very striking. I remember well that none of your many wonderful facts in your several works, perplexed me, for years, more than the migration having been mainly from north to south, and not in the reverse direction. I have now at last satisfied MYSELF (but that is very different from satisfying others) on this head; but it would take a little volume to fully explain myself. I did not for long see the bearing of a conclusion, at which I had arrived, with respect to this subject. It is, that species inhabiting a very large area, and therefore existing in large numbers, and which have been subjected to the severest competition with many other forms, will have arrived, through natural selection, at a higher stage of perfection than the inhabitants of a small area. Thus I explain the fact of so many anomalies, or what may be called "living fossils," inhabiting now only fresh water, having been beaten out, and exterminated in the sea, by more improved forms; thus all existing Ganoid fishes are fresh water, as [are] Lepidosiren and Ornithorhynchus, etc. The plants of Europe and Asia, as being the largest territory, I look at as the most "improved," and therefore as being able to withstand the less-perfected Australian plants; [whilst] these could not resist the Indian. See how all the productions of New Zealand yield to those of Europe. I dare say you will think all this utter bosh, but I believe it to be solid truth.
You will, I think, admit that Australian plants, flourishing so in India, is no argument that they could hold their own against the ten thousand natural contingencies of other plants, insects, animals, etc., etc. With respect to South West Australia and the Cape, I am shut up, and can only d--n the whole case.
...You say you should like to see my MS., but you did read and approve of my long Glacial chapter, and I have not yet written my Abstract on the whole of the Geographical Distribution, nor shall I begin it for two or three weeks. But either Abstract or the old MS. I should be DELIGHTED to send you, especially the Abstract chapter...
I have now written 330 folio pages of my abstract, and it will require 150-200 [more]; so that it will make a printed volume of 400 pages, and must be printed separately, which I think will be better in many respects. The subject really seems to me too large for discussion at any Society, and Ibelieve religion would be brought in by men whom I know.
I am thinking of a 12mo volume, like Lyell's fourth or fifth edition of the 'Principles.'...
I have written you a scandalously long note. So now good-bye, my dear Hooker, Ever yours, C. DARWIN.
CHARLES DARWIN TO J.D. HOOKER.
Down, January 20th, 1859.
My dear Hooker, I should very much like to borrow Heer at some future time, for I want to read nothing perplexing at present till my Abstract is done. Your last very instructive letter shall make me very cautious on the hyper-speculative points we have been discussing.