RECORD: Darwin, C. R. Torn Apart notebook (1839-1841) Transcribed by Kees Rookmaaker. CUL-DAR-TornApartNotebook (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Kees Rookmaaker, corrections by John van Wyhe 6-7.2009. RN1
NOTE: The pages are provided in the order of the Cambridge University Library microfilm. Pages are found in CUL-DAR208 unless otherwise noted. These pages are the remains of a notebook that which directly followed Notebook E.
See the fully annotated transcription of this notebook by Sydney Smith and David Kohn in Barrett, Paul H., Gautrey, Peter J., Herbert, Sandra, Kohn, David, Smith, Sydney eds. 1987. Charles Darwin's notebooks, 1836-1844 : Geology, transmutation of species, metaphysical enquiries. British Museum (Natural History); Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin.
Bengal Journal Vol 7. p. 658 — Falconer on Sub. Him. fossils — Ruminants. & Tortoises gigantic — hyæna — bear & ruminants all of larger size. — the law
of large size established — Australia, S. America — These strange forms.,
camels, giraffes. Sivatherium & Anoplotherium, with existing, or nearly existing
forms of aquatic reptiles most strange, & shows as in shells some forms are
long preserved. —
vol VI. p. 539. Dr Cantor's account of fossil frog, 40 inches in length — !
alludes to ancient gigantic salamanders —
Every order (except whales) have great prototype !!. —
Copied
Vol II p. 502. Bengal Journal The Taylor Bird uses pieces of thread, picked
up- instead of spinning — better case than English birds, using cotton &c
instead of natural substances — useful perversion of instincts —
Beechey's Voyage Vol I. p. 499. 4to. Edit — Horses in Lao Choo so small,
that person with long legs can hardly ride on them.
Mr Miller — in Zoological Gardens. informs me that a hybrid between ass &
Zebra, crossed with pony mare & produced a very pretty little animal,
showing something of Mule in its ears — ((this is good case as showing
gradations,
Gleanings of Science Vol III. p 320. Mr Hodgson on Musk Deer — young spotted like in "prettty much as we see in the young of the wild hog & of several species of deer, which are altogether immaculate when grown up".
Saw at Mr Bell's at Hornsey the offspring of a black & white duck of pecu drake with the penguin duck. it took after the Penguin in the form of its body & in the manner of walking but not waddling; its colour was darker than the
penguin & the bright feathers on its wing resembled the drake. — another of
same half breed resembled the plumage of drake still more. — So Penguin
impresses its form both on vars & species
The male swan-gander with common goose produce full as many eggs as
pure bred common. — the half of the cross, as above, take generally after the
swan-gander.
one of these half-bred ganders. crossed with common goose to has
produce offspring with so much of the swan-goose in appearance
Bell at
Hornsey
(though only ¼ of blood). that it appears about half way between swan-goose & common goose. — the stripe down back pretty plain in in these half ¾
bred ones —
The brothers & sisters half-breed showed no sexual inclination for each
other —
Aug. 20th
The Echnida & Hedgehog Tenrec both having spines, is the effect, partly of
the same external conditions (ie. analogical structure) & partly the laws of
organization (ie those laws which prevent infinite variation in every possible
way. — the laws which determine the kinds of monstrosity, & determine the
kind of variation & sporting in flowers & domestication of animals
Aug. 26th —
When it is said that there is evidence in the organic world of infinite &
growing complexity from a few types, it must not be supposed that this refers
to time. — Marsupial in Oolite. — insects, of do orders — cheiroptera &
cætacea in Eocene — dicot. plants in coal measures. — Shells in Cambrian &
Crust show how long since present forms existed, but if it be asked how this
complexity from a few types originated, we must go to the first origin of the
world. — our present organic beings are the descendants, slightly a good
deal modified & Many Forms lost; if of this old stock (which from action & reaction grew more complex) some perhaps rendered more complex &
some simplified. —
Annals of Natural History. no. XII. Vol. 2. p. 96 1 & p. 451. 1839 —
Translation of P. Fries most curious paper on the Pipe-fish — which he divides
into two divisions, one of which are marsupial & the other have young which
undergo metamorphosis & are provided with fins, & hence do not require
sac. — but the male in these hatch young — are there not some. Marsup.
Mammalia, which do have not sack, — Most curious facts & this paper
deserves fresh study & whole order of the fish. — Embryology
p. 97. for Man Chapt see Yarrell Syngnathus
[page found in CUL-DAR47.64]
I presume, from my theory, as long as any structure can be handed down
without being absolutely injurious (or requiring nutrition) to a certain
amount it will be so handed down (. as mammae of men callosities on
Camels & Horses —. —) & therefore probably any structure would rather
become accomodated to new circumstances than it would be eliminated, &
hence, the application of structure to purpose after purpose would tend to
render complex the series. —
Ch 6
[page found in CUL-DAR47.64]
Upland geese would transplant seeds very far. —
Sept 31. The identity of (or only closeness) of some species — (especially of mammifers) in old beds & existing species is valuable because it shows no innate power of change & it also shows, what enormous changes of conditions, some species will undergo & yet remain adapted. — it does away with difficulty of rabbits of England remaining same (if so) with those of Spain & such facts — This unequal duration is exactly same as some species extending much further geographically than others.
[page found in CUL-DAR208 and CUL-DAR205.4.5]
Hensleigh objects to transmut. theory, on the grounds of similarity in condition in Java & Sumatra & dissimilarity of forms — yet how valueless this objection, when one thinks of different kinds of cattle in every part of England. &c &c
NB. In botanical geography, there can be no sharp division of partition as between Mammalia in cases such as that of Java & Sumatra
Nov 15th
Waterhouse showed me the component vertebræ of the head of Snake
wonderful!! distinct!! — He would not allow such series showed passages — yet
in talking, constantly said as the brain spinal marrow expands, so do the
bones are created expand — instead of saying as brain is created &c &c
Bats are a great difficulty not only are no animals known with an intermediate
structure, but it is not possible to imagine what habits an animal could have
had with such structure. — perhaps greatest
Could anyone. have foreseen, sailing, climbing & mud-walking fish?
difficult — yet suggested. (vipers tooth also a difficult), the whole mind is
constituted that a difficulty makes greater impression, than the grouping of
many facts with laws & their explanation will probably reject this theory —
(I must answer it by rooting out curious cases of intermediate structure, &
supposing much extinction. give a parallel case)
Waterhouse remarked, that any argument for transmut, from one organ
graduating into other is lost, be (as vertebræ into skull, two bones of tibia
into one. —) because if the animals were taken from which these series were
drawn they would not be intermediate, but this is not required. —
Waterhouse says perhaps animals of Fernando Noronha are found on unknown coast in front of it. —
Cuvier has grand sentence about the Animaux fossiles — being a mere fragment of the discoveries to come — Owen in his description of my fossils makes same such remark & before the conclusion of his work — Lund makes his wonderful discoveries = negative facts are valueless = monkeys =
Owen has described a greatt Struthonidous Bird from New Zealand — so not an Apteryx, yet it shows the Apteryx is not quite isolated in its present locality — there have been at least other birds, with small wings, & surely the Apteryx is more closely allied to the Struthonidae than any other forms —
In S. America. it appears from Lund more Mammals, than at present
in
Europe we know there has been several successions of Mammals. —
yet only
two monkeys, there are now have been found fossil in S. America, there are
now — — species in S. America. — so see what a mere vestige, is preserved
in this country — same argument to India & Europe — & Africa!, — any
negative argument against — monkey-man, valueless. —
May not several
generations have been confounded in the caves?
It is highly important, to bear in mind that enormous periods may elapse,
even in situations apparently favourable for the preservation of shells; where
land broken, rivers entering. — & yet no shells — now look
at Scotland — coasts of Chile, excepting Concepcion — Patagonia — Beds of La Plata. (except close to B. Ayres). — If we may take this as guide, the shells preserved must be as much a casualty as, bones of Mammalia in caves: — argue first case of bones (New Red Sandstone) & then go on to shells —
A profound consideration of method by which races of men have been
exterminated (see Pritchards paper) (Ed. Phil. Journ. end of 1839) very
important. it seems owing to immigration of other races, so it is with domestic
breeds. (though in this case crossing has had somewhat to do with it. mem.
dogs & pigs in Polynesia; & dogs in S. America Rengger.
— now it is
this very immigration which tends to make the destroyers vary; so that we
here see reasons — why no perfect gradation can be expected in any one
country. — in a descending series of strata
This again shows how much forms
depend on other forms
Lyell's Paper, in Taylor's Journ. — Phil. Mag. May. 1840 p. 362. — some
Mammals of Norfolk Crag. mentioned — allied Beaver to present forms. — —
How many tertiary estuary & Lacrustine formations contain fossils, —
mammals — a few only — & how many estuary formations are there in old
Secondary Series — few —
Maer June /41/, observed 3 plants of Caltha Palustris alone together. one had seed-pods turning brown, whilst both others were in nearly full flower
[page found in CUL-DAR49.22]
Maer June /41/
Rhododendrum — nectary marked by orange freckles on
upper petal; bees &
flies seen directed to it — The Humbles in crawling out brush over anther &
pistil & one I saw impregnate by pollen with which bees a bee was
dusted over.
[sketch]
Stamens & pistils have curve upwards, so that anthers & stigma lie in fairway to
nectary. — Is not this so in Kidney Bean. How is it generally. —
In Azalea do it is so
Though I saw no Bees several visiting it. — In yellow day
lily, the Bees visit base of upper petal, though not differently coloured — & stamens
bend up a little
[page found in CUL-DAR49.22]
In a wild purple Geranium, I see Bees visit always base of (a) upper petal from facility of alighting? which is not differently coloured & to which stamen & pistils have no relation. In Monk's Hood, a bee entering long nectary, would necessary cross directly over the bunch of anthers & pistils, but these do do not bend up — In Lark-spur, if Bees put proboscis within nectary they do they must disturb all anthers, wh otherwise lie protected by the hairy black lip of lower division of nectary: wh. itself resembles a Bee, but does not prevent bees visiting it. In Columbine nectaries are placed all round flower as they are in Crown-Imperial Lily & many other flowers —
My view of variety acquired character of characters being inherited
at corresponing age & sex, opposed by cantering horses having colts which
can canter — & dogs trained to pursuit having puppies with the same powers
instinctive & doubtless not confined to sex. — Is not cantering a congenital
peculiarity improved. Probably every such new quality becomes associated
with some other, as pointing with smell. = These qualities have been given to
fœtus fr before sex developed — Double flowers & colours breaking only hereditary
characters, wh. come on in
after life of Plants — also goodness of flavour in fruit — all affected by cultivation during life of individual.
[page now in CUL-DAR109.16]
June 1st 1841. Maer Examined the Lemon-thyme. — equally abortive as it was in autumn: filaments united in whole length to corolla —anthers minute, distinctly doubled, brown, but with no pollen. — Common Thyme growing close by is equally abortive —and both growing within Kitchen Garden. — As we see in Hybrids that although anther nor filaments shrivel, yet stigma does not, so we may feel somewhat but little less surprised at Henslow's remark that pistil does not become abortive.
[page now in CUL-DAR109.16]
Examined in microscope — some of the stigmas of [sketch] shape of ordinary Labiatæ —the chief part with ordinary divisions, & a few with one lobe again divided Have dried some. — some with no division in young flowers. The abortive stamen are of useful height. —
[page now in CUL-DAR77.62]
In Lupine, Bees frequent & seem to act, something like on Kidney Bean,
they go to nectar at foot of upper petal standing on
I saw Bee go to two
species of Lupine,
two wings. & when the Lupine flower is perfectly ripe &
pollen abundant filaments & stamens all protrude there is a brush at end of
stigma, which forces out from extremity pollen, or pollen comes out with
anthers & stigma in slit — As I think they do in Broom & certainly when
over-ripe & half withered — I saw Bees going to clover & once this
happened. — (a) And in common Beans it is wonderful
how the Humbles force
down the wings most violently: in Beans the wings seem beautifully to protect
sheath
[page now in CUL-DAR77.62]
In all these nectar seems to be at base of upper petal & the curvature of
an pistil, &c lies in gangway = In Lotus corniculatus saw Humble press
down wings which ejects pollen from tip of sheath. — Also in Lathyrus
pratensis yellow saw stigma project In common Pea saw Humble so press
down sheath, that stigma covered with pollen was pressed & rubbed along
whole breast —
pressing either one or both of Pea's wings, stigma & mass of yellow pollen
protrudes at sheath. — At last I saw Bee collecting pollen from sheath Keel of
Lupine —
Seen Bees on Potato &c several times on Beans
[page now in CUL-DAR49.144]
Rough. — green-cabbage in flower — swarmed with meligethes & small
Staphylinidæ on all their bodies pollen — on a sulphur Broccoli not many do —
pollen not very abundant. not very small — Saw one small Bee; saw another on
Cabbage — white Butterflies suck nectar:
Maer June 41
Rhubarb. pollen very minute — not excessively abundant flowers not
attractive, very small — stigma rather large & rough — flowers common —
many winged thrips, covered with pollen — Thrips about as large as bit of
chopped horse hair with legs & take flight — Yet we have crosses — I see Bees
almost
[page now in CUL-DAR49.144]
every flower — Blue-bells — wild-raspberry — leeks — Flowers which thought very unattractive — Found Rhubarb blossom swarming with small Staphylinidæ — Anapsis, Melegethes, Leptuse —Diptera & small Hymenoptera
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3).5]
Saw Humble go from great Scarlet Poppy to Rhododendron — from Larkspur
to Lupine two species of Larkspur — two varieties of Cistus Speedwell to
Rhododendron — Loasa Anchusa — speedwell Iris — Azalea.
Rhodendron. Fraxinella to Anchusa never once
P on Fraxinella
Heartease small. Humble alighted on base of filaments & reached nectar
= again = between them, hence quite below stigma. & so avoided it.
On certain days Humble seem to frequent certain flowers, to day early, the
great scarlet Poppy —
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3).5]
So that, finally Fraxinella. with respect to nectary is same case as Azalea or Rhododendron
[sketch]
xx after several gloomy days. hot one, Bees almost P every minute to
Fraxinella & from flower plant to plant. — to my grt surprise — I found
all, stamens straightened pollen profusely shed; lengthened &turned up more
than stamens, so that all were brushed by Bees & especially stigma after bee
had brushed over the anthers of long stamens
as stamens grow old & shed some pollen. they turn upwards & bend over
stigma: — but stigma is almost roofed by united filaments. —
This flower hostile to intermarriage!! xx
In Phil Transact. about year 1778. Paper by Camper on Ourang-outang, has examined 7 says one specimen had on one foot, a toe-nail & two joints — as it is on one foot probably monstruous & not a second species. —
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):5]
Saw Maer. June 15./41/. Watched plants of Fraxinella, with seven flower
stalks for ten minutes, it was visited by 13 Bees — & each examined very
many flowers. = 22d — /during several succeeding days many most
numerous bees visited this same bunch & on this day in five minutes eleven
Humbles came & each visited many flowers —
Saw Bees frequent these flowers
till late in evening — On rough calc. 280 flowers — allowing each Bee visits 10
flowers in minute
each flower will be visited in 28 minutes — say then each
flower is visited 30 times a day is considerably under mark, & this has now
gone on 14 days. (except some wet ones/ & wd go on longer —
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):5]
Woodfords Marrow fat, Early frame, Groom's Dwarf. planted in rows close to
each other & seeds gathered al» came up in 1840 true. Shrewsbury. —
Abberley —
Early Magazine — &c. double-blossomed & dwarf-fan Bean bean, were
planted in rows, & seeds gathered same year came up true in 1840: All in
together blossomed together
The seeds of these plants will be collected & resown. —
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):6]
Humble 22 flowers of Egg Tree in one minute
Great Humble 17 flowers of Larkspur on two plants in do
Humble 24 flowers of small Linaria in do
Domestic do 6 Campanula (two species) — in do —
do 3 of do in about in ¾ of minute
These latter were pollen gatherers & they seem slow =
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):6]
[page now in CUL-DAR49:131]
[page now in CUL-DAR49:131]
Maer 1840
My Father formerly planted Turkey or Palmated and English, planted
within few yards of each other actually produced hybrids — My Father
remembered when in the gardens, he knew there was none but English, — the
Palmated was introduced about 65 years ago — & soon after mules
abounded — so that palmated has now nearly disappeared. & old English But these mules in our garden show no trace of palmation !!?
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):29]
Bees at
Wild St Johns Wort — Scabies, Cyanoglossum — Reseda wild very many Bees &
Humbles —on Thistles many (curious because a Composite)
Asparagus very
small flowers & as much shut up, frequented by many Bees & Humbles —
Humbles & common On silene, many plants of wh. have abortive
stamens = Many Humbles on hedge Linaria =
(Plenty of Humble Bees on Phlox Down, 1854, Sept.)
[page now in CUL-DAR46.2(ser.3):29]
In Spanish Broom by pulling back Wings, pollen is ejected with violence in shower
On many Papilionaceous; all wh. are in flower I saw Bees; — on Monk's
Hood, brushing over stamen Egg Tree — I think never on the Galeum saxatile & other common kind — I think not on Phlox though they examine it. — Little
Dusty & Blue Butterflies at Clover, — Veronica —, Ranunculus in numbers
= what insect can get honey out of long, curved nectar of Butterfly Orchis &
Listera?
Bryony saw common Bee on:
[Page now in CUL-DAR205.3:61]
Boteler's Narrative Voyage East coast of Africa —
Vol II. p. 256 — wild cattle
at Madagascar — p. 121 No beasts of Prey.
[Page now in CUL-DAR205.3:61. Text only partially preserved]
any country should during
conditions — every spot is occupied & has
been occupied
some species, which has undergone all the changes.
ortant
view,
copie[d]
Gleanings of Sciences. Vol. III p. 83. Paper translated from Meckel. Comp. Anat. — From Buffon cross of he-goat & sheep, it seems male gives form. admitted by Linnæus. — seems to doubt its applicability to common mule & hinnus — in one case bastard of wolf & dog had more form of male, & another of both progenitors — the hinnus, resembles horse in its head ears, tail limbs — in the mules, these parts resemble ass. (& part of body mare) — — this may be, perhaps. squeezed into Mr Walker's law
Phillips (Lardner's E. vol. II p. 18.) capital list of all the fossil Mamm. of Europe —
Large Lizards in Navigatores. Williams. Narrative of Missionary enterprises
Linn. Trans. 18. p. 163. "D. Dod on two new genera of coniferæ". — referring to the 3 main divisions & speaking of their similarity in structure he says "indeed it w d be difficult to point out a family so completely natural & one whose groups pass so insensibly into each other".
Athenæum 1839 p. 772 — A curious theoretical French book review on politics in relation to the different races of men, some more intellectual than others — is incidentally said that a mongrel man may lose all traces of his parentage in about seven 7generations. — so many!!
Linn. Trans 18. p. 133 Westwood on the Fulgoridæ enumerates the strange
forms which the thorax & head displays. — most fantastic & use unknown. —
"when we find such an endless variety of form in the same organ "manifestation of divine power"?. — "of their use difficult to conceive any
idea"
Dr Andrew Smith says in the larks from S. Africa he can almost make series from end to end — so that he is almost led to doubt. whether there is such a thing as a species —
Athenæum 1839. p. 708. — Shrew, found by M. Lartet same as existing species.
We see the same object gained by the Mataco-armadillo & the woodlouse — — a good analogy — sea-Crustacea — Tulus.
Athenæum p. 605
Mr Macgillivray says "A Thrush & Blackbird have been known in their its natural state to mate with a thrush" —
Lund's Antilope in Brazil another point of agreement with. N. America & S., ( ؟ is the peculiar. N. American form) — ؟ Hunting leopard, how strange, anyone, would have thought isolated species Mr Blyth, however, believes in the existence of Molina's Pudu — or goat
There is ibex of Alp Pyrenees &c — (see Blyth's work on Ruminants, — these species must have migrated to these mountains, when the cold was intense just like the alpine plants —
Citation: John van Wyhe, editor. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
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