RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. [Reading notes on coral attols]. CUL-DAR29.3.48. Edited by John van Wyhe (The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2021. RN3
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. The volume CUL-DAR29.3 contains lists of specimens from the voyage of the Beagle.
[48]
July 3d 1843 Comtes Rendus
{M. Decaisne on vegetable nature of Nulliporæ —
[M. Payen. 1843. Note relative aux caractères distinctifs qui séparent les végétaux des animaux, et aux sécrétions minérales dans les plantes. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences (3 Jul.): 16-19.]
[48v]
(13
Read Astrolabe's voyage M. Dumont D. Urville
Oualan, near S. Carolines describedNE & SW; 678 metres
I cannot understand structure of broad encompassing reefs.
May we think the continent of which Tahiti was a peak had a peculiar vegetation & that the trade wind drifted seeds to E. Indian Isd??
Port Dorey, New Guinea granitic [illeg] flanked with tertiary strata of a modern date "debris [illeg] northern shore. reef in a very sickly state, thinks from fresh waves
[Quoy, Jean René Constant and Gaimard, Joseph Paul. 1830-4. Zoologie. 4 vols, in Dumont d'Urville, Jules Sébastien César, Voyage de la corvette L'Astrolabe. 12 vols. Paris. 1830-5. Darwin recorded this in 'Books read', with a note "These books have been read since I thought of my transmutation theory"]
[48b]
Lessons Zoologie
Few birds or animals indigenous to Isle of France
On East coast St Helena shells 1800 ft high
Useful discussion on Firola Plerosonian Salfra; many molluscous animals
P. 442 [illeg] without shells!
Chamiss must be very good English edition in Kotzebue's voyage
Constantly talks of the Caroline
[Lesson, René-Primevère and Garnot, Prosper. 1826-30. Zoologie. In Louis-Isidore Duperrey, Voyage autour du monde, executé par ordre du Roi, sur la corvette de Sa Majesté, la Coquille, pendant les années 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825. 2 vols., atlas. Paris: Arthus Bertrand.]
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 30 June, 2025