RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1855]. Abstract of Wollaston, Insecta Maderensia; being an account of the insects of the islands of the Madeiran. CUL-DAR197.2.8-9. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 9.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin.
"Wollaston, Thomas Vernon, 1822-78. Naturalist. W wintered in Madeira and other Atlantic islands, due to ill-health, and was a specialist in their invertebrate fauna, especially beetles. CD discussed evolution with before Origin. 1847 FLS. 1855 CD to Hooker, "Wollaston's 'Insecta Maderensia': it is an admirable work". CCD5:279. W visited and stayed 4 days at Down House from Apr. 25-28 1856. CD also had the Huxleys, J. Lubbock and Hooker those same days. 1857 published descriptions of some beetles collected by CD during voyage of the Beagle. 1860 W wrote hostile review of Origin in Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., 5: pp. 132-43. 1868 CD to Stainton, "I have been sincerely grieved to hear about poor Wollaston's affairs, in which, I am told, you have taken so kind an interest". CCD16:135." (Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.)
Darwin recorded reading the work in 1855 in his 'Books Read / Books to be Read' notebook. CUL-DAR128.-. Wollaston, Thomas Vernon. 1854. Insecta Maderensia; being an account of the insects of the islands of the Madeiran group. London.
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Insecta Maderensia
Sect |
Specimen of |
Number of species having one or more var. |
1 Geodephaga |
63 |
16 |
2 Hydradephaga |
7 |
1 |
3 Philhydrida |
13 |
2 |
4. Necrophaga |
79 |
2 |
5 Cordylocerata |
22 |
1 |
6 Priocerata |
35 |
3 |
7 Rhyncophora |
105 |
12 |
8 Eucerata |
6 |
1 |
9 Phytophaga |
21 |
3 |
10 Pseudo |
17 |
5 |
11 Atrachelia |
29 |
7 |
12 Trachelia |
11 |
3 |
13 Brachelytra |
74 |
5 |
|
|
[total] 61 |
(I think, Genera ought to be calculated.)
This is, perhaps the fairest way of estimating whether large groups vary most. we see 3 Sect' have more than half the species, but they have only a very few more varieties than the other ten sections. I am not sure whether this is the fairest way, or not: because in each great group there wd be many genera not varying & in some of the smaller Sections there wd be some increasing genera.
1 Geodephaga 63 ─ 16
7 Rhyncophora 105 ─ 12
13 Brachelytra 74 ─ 5
[total] 242 ─ [total] 33 ─ vars ─ (28.23 proper result
other 10 Sect. 240 ─ 28 vars
Total insects on isls 482 total vars. 61
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|
Spec |
vars |
Fam 1. Carabidæ |
63 |
16 |
34 Curculionidæ |
61 |
9 |
56 Staphylinidæ |
73 |
5 |
|
217 217/482 |
30 30/61 |
(Atrachelia 29 species)
Mr Wollaston divides the 13 sections into 56 Families of which the above 3 have 217 species & these 30 varieties, ie nearly half of all the species which have vars; but I cannot trust at all to this for these Families are divided into sub-families, & it is quite likely that the sub-families may be equal value to the Families. — Yet this result is striking, for I do suppose this arrangement is made in conformity with the affinities of insects in other parts of world.
He must think the sub-fam. more nearly related than the Fam. otherwise it wd have been almost equally convenient to have made them into Families, as Subfamilies, as almost all are included in the sub-fams.—
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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 7 December, 2022