RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. [Abstract of British Association meeting reports, 1846]. CUL-DAR74.110-115. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 8.2021. 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. The volumes CUL-DAR 72-75 contain Darwin's abstracts of scientific books and journals.


[110]

(7) Brit. Assoc. 1846. Rept. on the Archetype & Homologies of the Vertebrate Skeleton by Prof. Owen.

p. 184 The earlier stages of development of all locomotive extremities are permanently retained in the paired fins of fishes. First the essential part of the [illeg] , the hand or foot appears, much flattened then the humeral or femoral element

p. 208 Agassiz has unfortunately called those highly organized existing Ganoid fishes, Saurian, when their real affinities are to the Batrachia (ie lower Reptilia) or Salamandroid fishes. In the Polypterus. "Agassiz well remarks," that "it needs very little to change this transverse articulation (viz on the basi-occipital for the atlas) with its two lateral ridges, into two distinct articular condyles." "But This would convert pro tanto, the Polypterus into a Batrachian & not into a Saurian." (so this is an important character in transitional state.

[111]

(8) p. 217. In th Batrachia, the rudiments of the ulna & radius; are at no stage distinct in the Crocodile, the parietal has never any division. These parts are "connate", ie newer physically distinct, & not only "confluent" yet the homologies of the above parts are not obscured by their connation in earliest embryonic life.

p. 224. In the Struthious birds, every deviation which has been supposed to tend towards the Mammalia, tends equally or more towards the Reptilia -The original sutures of bones of head are longer retained; & the nature of [intermittent] male organ & the urinary bladder. He mentions somewhere p. 241. see below next page that Birds heads when mature are solid casket with most of the suture obliterated; so that we can here see no use in the many parts.

[112]

(9) p. 241. admits that on the Cuvierian principle viz the subservancy of the homologous parts in different animals to similar ends is opposed by numerous phœnomena. Thus the numerous points of ossification in a child's head favours childbirth, yet most of these points represent distinct bones in the cold-blooded vertebrates.

The cranium of the bird is composed in the adults of a single bone - so also in the prematurely born Marsupial. (Hence in Man & other mammal, a structure of quite independent origin is usefully, nay indispensably worked in it is found out & used by the selective principle.)

p. 248 rudiments of lumbar ribs are found in the foetus of the hog, & in the first lumbar vertebra of many mammals.

p. 260 "I have seen far better instances of adherence to type, irrespective of obvious function, than the persistence of the biconcave articular concavities, with the elastic capsules & contained fluid, in the centrums of these 5

[112v]

Owen granting that the skull is 3 altered vertebrae, yet no doubt denying that in any parent race each did separately exist as a true vertebra is something like an etymologist [insertion: or amamus. V. H. Tooke] tracing the word suppose from sub-pono in all its stages, & yet to deny that the particular individual word sub-pono, from which suppose was derived was ever used in the ordinary sense of sub-pono.

For myself I cannot anymore doubt that some primordial race existed, with a a long anterior to the lowest part of the Silurian system, which had a chain of vertebra & no skull, than I doubt the correctness of the nature of the skull & the beautiful explanation it affords of so many bones in it, even in an adult Birds skull.

[113]

(10) rigidly fixed anterior vertebrae of the a Siluroid fish," from S. America.

p. 266. The expanded & perforated parapolysis of the 2d & 3d Vertebrae in Cobitis inclose air-cells brought into communication with the acoustic labyrinth by a chain of small ossicles; & these singularly modified rudiments of th swim-bladder seem to have no other function in the [illeg] locales than in connection with th sense of hearing. It was somewhere stated that in some fish, ribs penetrate œsophagus & are capped with dentine to serve as teeth.

p. 272. "These (viz that parts of bones of Cranium which are originally distinct in human embryo & afterwards confluent) & the like correspondences between the points of ossification of the human fœtal skeleton & the separate bones of the adult skeletons of inferior animals, are pregnant with interest & rank amongst the most striking illustrations of unity of plan in the vertebrate organization."

[114]

(11) p. 306. "To the homologist, however, the recognized difference of subjectivity to modification presented by the neurapophyres, spines & diverging appendages of the typical segments, renders very intelligible the partial seats of arrested growth in the bones of these idiots crania."

p. 305 "Hœmal arches more variable than neural arches." & is so that here is law determining variation; but on what does this depend - cannot say

p. 333 The humerus of two animals are homologues - the humerus & femur are archetype homotype. ie the point of attachment of a petal & stamen are homotypes. - all petals are homologues

[115]

(12) Brit. Assoc for 1846. Transactions of Section

p. 52 Agassiz - the Silurus (I thought this genus was S. American) "is confined to the Danube, Rhine & a few other fresh-water of Europe, it might be asked by what means it had wandered from one locality to another; to which he would reply that these fresh-water fish must have been created in the very streams in which they now live & in the same proportion as now. They leave the egg in so short a time that it was quite impossible they shd be transported by birds or otherwise." I wd answer far more probably elevation had turned an affluent from one stream into another - or whirlwind., or inundation, or ancient inosculations &c &c any hypothesis, when all overthrown, than time for agassiz view

over

[115v]

p 75 Dr. Royle on the Geograph. Distrib of the Flora of India "The northern faces of the Himalayas or the Thibetan region has the closest resemblance in its genera & even many of its species to that of the Atlas & of Siberian, with a sprinkling of th Mediterranean flora

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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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