RECORD: Griffin, Charles. 1861. Darwin, Charles. A dictionary of contemporary biography. London: Griffin, pp. 122-3.

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe c. 2013. RN1

NOTE: See the record for this item in the Freeman Bibliographical Database by entering its Identifier here. Darwin provided some minor corrections to this biographical entry. See the notes in Correspondence 8:57-8.


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DARWIN, CHARLES, MA. Cantab., F.R.S., an eminent naturalist and author. When a very young man he accompanied Captain Fitzroy in his voyage round the world, in H.M.S. "Beagle," during the years 1831—1836. His journal first appeared in 1839, as part of the general narrative of the voyage, and was subsequently re-published in a modified form under the title of "Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the various Countries visited by H.M.S. 'Beagle.'" In 1842, his work "On the Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs" appeared, which was followed by his "Geological Observations on South America." Since this period he has contributed many papers to the Geological Transactions, and to other scientific periodicals. His chief contribution to Zoology is the "Monograph on the Family Cirripeda," in two large volumes, in which he points out many curious and interesting particulars in relation to the history and economy of the barnacles and sea-acorns, and furnishes a minute description of every known species of the family. He has recently (November, 1859) published a work entitled, "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection; or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." This volume, as stated in the introduction, gives only in a condensed form the result of more than twenty years' study, and will hereafter be followed by a more detailed treatise on the same subject. Mr. Darwin's writings exhibit close observation and untiring industry in collecting and arranging facts. Mr. Darwin, although he has adopted conclusions contested by other naturalists, has always been very cautious in arriving at results without

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sufficient data. He is a clear and elegant writer; and his works, independently of their scientific value, are written in a style well calculated to render them highly attractive.


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

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