The text is adapted from: Chancellor, Gordon. 1990. Charles Darwin's St Helena Model Notebook. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Historical Series 18(2): 203-228. Text PDF F1839
[front cover]
Nothing
St. Helena Model
[1]
An Elevation intermediate between
Longwood2 &
Alarm house3
will give
mean inclination
of stream before
elevation at
Flagstaff4
[The footnotes are reproduced at the end of this transcription.]
[2]
Bluimans5 probably modern lava.
Horse pasture6 island slopes impossible to guess what it is
High Hill7. I should think external a little more elevated then rest of ring Vide basalt & V specimens
[3]
Hollow on coast near Man & Horses8 I should certainly think end of ?capped with Lava & elevated? external ring: to
The S. [illeg] Is like inside of Crater.
Evidently great remnant near Flat Rocks.9
[4]
?very doubtful Whether any
old rocks near
Flat rocks?
Asses ears10 so very
near coast
South Barn11
I should think
Basaltic, as well
as Long Range
point12 x x x
[5]
Cuckolds point13
2672
Hally's Mount14
2400
According to
colouring, base of
Man & Horse15
external basaltic
x x x x & I can
scarcely doubt great
[6]
Stone top16 is likewise basaltic
High Hill17 most anomalous
Part of Barn18
nearest to Flagstaff19
higher than seaward
point from
elevation—
The form of South
[7]
Barn20 would lead
to supposition that
it dipped to SE by
S.—
If we complete the
craters by Green Hill21
to Nest [Lodge written over 'Loge']22, the
longer axis will be
parallel to S. Coast
as rise of Green
[8]
Hill is nearly obliterated
We need not be surprised
at SW part of
circle being entirely
obliterated
The state of outer
ring at ( true SW)
point, is quite
doubtful... cause
of dip of S Barn23
doubtful.—
[9]
Excepting from
disturbance at the
? Barn24 axis of
Crater parallel to
island.—
New crater placed
rather at one
end of ring of
Rocks
Lot. Lots Wife25 &
& Flagstaff26 in line
[10]
connection true
or false?
The tops of
basaltic masses
stick up
above the modern=
strewn all round
a little higher
[11]
The lava of Flagstaff27
did not proceed
over from so
low a place as
Consons Casons Gate28
When I talk of
dip from High
Peak29 have I said
SW for NW!!!??
[12]
The irregular
position of the
external knobs,
would certainly
appear more
probably due to
elevation, than
to crater of subsidence
Appears to have
[13]
less regularity,
than true crater
tho' having
crateriform
dip
Prosperous Bay30
Flagstaff ought31
to have dipped
due E.
[14]
Barn32 NE
ought to have
dipped
South Barn33 ought to
have dipped
S by E
From black angular
[15]
projecting mass at base
of Man &
Horse34
no doubt external
basaltic, but
top too smooth
I must suspect
structure like
Flagstaff35
[16]
Dr Lindsay Curator
Ask Gould37 about
East Indian & Australian
Birds. with respect
to islets 38
Eyton39 —Waterhouse40
thinks grey with black
bars cat differ species
from small tortoise=
shell
cat41 —skeletons
Do get shepherds tail
[17e-20e]
[21]
Sulivan42 get head of
ox called "Nata'43
History of cross breeds
Gould drawing of
ostrich44
D'Orbigny45 is giving
figure shells from
Cordillera46
Ear Doctor47
[ ]
[22]
Tell Lyell48 of Desnoyers
Paper49
Tell Mr Owen50
of Caout chouk51
to stop bottle
There are some
admirable tables
of distribution of
reptiles of S. America
bound in Suites
de Buffon,52 of
[23e-24e]
[25]
Wrappers ??
about sending to Subscribers53
Stewart54 about payment
of the 100 guineas
for Gould55
Curtis56 my bill
Dr Smith57 sharks
teeth Navedad
Chile
will examine them
hereafter
[ ]
[26]
Major Mitchell58
Height of Escarpment
of Blue Mountains
do hybrid dogs foxes Austral
dogs. breed.-59
Depth of rivers near
mouths60
Any Fossils in the Sandstone61
Pecten Terebratula
Name of Mr Brown62 leaves63
Do Australian dogs hunt in
packs64 Watuaya
Woodcut of Bomb65
[27]
Pay Lonsdale66 Geolog
Transactions
Pseudo-strata.
-craters.
? May I quote your statement
about steep shore deep beneath
water.67 find out about cliffs
on banks of rivers
At Head of
Grose I are there
cliffs & confine attention to this
one valley
yes
Do the rivers continue deep
a little way above tidal action no
cliffs Look out for shells with
bones not always cliffs
[28]
- Woods [illeg]
Henrietta —St Bath68
would probably answer letter
& give information
about tailless breed of
cats69 (origin?) near
Walmesbury breed??
Wiltshire sheep. With
teeth pushing each
other out
Plants from Henslow70
Sulivan71 about
English Weeds
Fennel, Sow Thistle
Reach
[29e-34e]
[35]
Council of
Geolog Soc
for map of
Scotland
Dunford field
Church St
Last number of Lancet, account
of Owen & Magnetism72 73
[36]
Vol. VII Ed. T.
p.15774 Sir J Hall
states that "a large block
of rock stone 4 or 5 ft
in diam, lying within
high water mark, &
well known as having serving
to denote the boundary
of two estates was
during a stormy night
in water transported
90 yards, & the person
on the spot was confused
[37e-40e]
[41]
all preserving their
NE dip
Miss Martineau p. 21375
Charity everywhere
I doubted it at first Byron & the
Fuegian women Have any
other associated animals
charity—cows not
wild cattle & [illeg]
[42]
Wouett on Cattle76
Waterhouse, has it77
Ask [Fox78 ink over pencil] to
experimentise79
on Frogs spawn & to
procure eggs of
Land Snail, for me—
Owen's Edition
of Hunters's Animal
Economy80
[43e-44e]
[45]
n.b.
Pintail & Common
Duck to get
some half breed 81
Bring Picture
for M
Cross between Black
Grouse Ptarmigan82
Pheasant & Grouse in83
wild—when species decreasing
[46]
Capercailzie84
Black Grouse &
subalpina85
Anthus S. American
species.—furthest
south—Anthus
going further SouthNorth
than S. American
species86
[47]
Mr Yarrel87 3"6d
for number of
Physiology88
Mr Yarrell [1765 written over '1780'],
has book history of
Pidgeon.89
Treatise on Domestic
Pidgeons—very
curious, in comparison
for time,—Mr Yarrell
has recent comparison
[48]
Has rock Pidgeon
pouter's specks on
shoulder, Pouters
have specks90
Have any new
varieties of Pidgeons
been established?91
There must be laws of
variation chance would never
produce feathers or make
breed—92 ?cat without legs?93
[49e-58e]
[59]
modesty [two illeg words] &
shame
Mr Fuller 8 Albany
Place —11 Regent
Park—200£94
Albany St. 70£.
per annum
no 161—100£ per annum
Another further up
this street 80£
no 27
[60]
Clarges St.-
Montague Place
House. Parker
Keppel St Agent
Furnished
Kemp & Son
37 Judd St.
House in Woburn
Place—no 20
[61]
Pearsall & Jorden
1. Bernard St
Russell Square
House in do
12 Upper Gower95
St. Furnished or
unfurnished. must be latter
Furniture\
at Valuation? Pearsall & Jordan: 100 year
with stables: 4 years-
[Will hear on Tuesday from France
written up left margin]
[62]
Mr Stokes96 4
North Place
Gray Inn Lane
Gordon Square
40
Built two years
Upper 20 Woburn Place
bare, (with fixtures
some) want some
painting Landlord probably will
do no more rather
nice house—
[63]
offices rather bad.
look out believing
moderately good
140 Kemp &
Son [37 '3' written over '2'] Judd St
with stables
17. Woburn Place
to Purchase Furniture
rent 110 Lease 7 or
14
[64]
[upside down on microfilm image]
Tavistock Square97
2 houses from-
near Mr Crompton's
145£: New
House belonging to Cubitt98
Regent Square.
[32x]
Common table &
2nd Washing stand
Lyell161 -Maclarens162 has written
on Salisbury Craigs
[30x]
Pay Lyell154 for
Pritchard155 Chemical Concretions
Volcanic Dust156 ———
Remnants of Carpets157 Mat for
Hall
Windows cleaned
Staircase cover washed
Walls cleaned
white curtains washed
[31x]
Two easy chairs
Blinds in red
Rooms washed
Muslin all to be
Washed
[Lyell158 T. Carlyle159-Public
Library Flint in Pottery
——written upside down]160
[28x]
Macaio
Is there any relation
between boss of Indian
cattle & structure
Bison &c147
Analyse this in
all cases whether
variation assumes
character allied to
specific ones
same genus—
[29x]
Write to Sulivan148 to
enquire about wild
Have they long ears & what
colour??
dogs on the Pampas
Do male animals lose
passion from breeding in &
in.-149
How many generations was
this effected in case of
Bantam & Polish Cochin150
in Pidgeons how many generations
old on an
average 151
[Vertebra of Indian Cattle ink over pencil]152 Eyton. dissect.—153
Skeletons of Pidgeons
1/2 one. 3. oclock
1/4. 1. 1/2 past one
[26x]
Edentate Head. one plate141
Mastodont one plate
4 Plates
2 Plates for little
bones
1 Tessalated covering
6 Scelidotherium
1—Lower jaw
1 Megatherium
1 && [18 boxed] 2"18
[27x]
Theory of Volcanos
Count Byelandt
Palstercamp142
Rat from
Australia??143
Owen—fossil—144
Shall I give Institute
d' France Mammalia145
Lyell Volcanic
Dust146
[24x]
Cheiroptamus 135
Exact Locality
Cast
Sir P Egerton136
says that Kaup137
considers M. augusti=dens138
as only found
in India—
European species come
from are M.
longirostris
[25x]
Jaw of Elephant in
Geolog Soc
Edin Transacts
Vol. VI p 165139
considers Somma
is fragment of large
volcano Sir J
Hall
do p. 173140 Has seen
clay stiff enough for
potters use with
great crystals of ice
found in them, &
fragments of rock, with
angles stay sharp, yet with
[character completely altered &
two illeg words superinduced
written up right margin]
[20x]
Dr Smith128
Quartz Rock. no
formation of??
with respect to origin of
sandstone129
Granite large
tab Formation????
Ask Lonsdale130 about
stalagtite layer on Chalk &
tab look at
[three illeg words]
(with the exception
of some quartz Hills
on near the West Coast
near the mouth of Orange
River) Dr Smith.-131
[21xe-22xe]
[23x]
Tooth of Mastodon132
for Merchant
Sonnerat133 has
given account
of Seychelles
Voyage aux Indes
Orientales 1774
1781
Gould134 has seen
parrot
[ ]
[12x]
Ice transport of storm
in Frith of Forth
p. 157 VII Vol
& 8th Edinburgh Transact123
Have they a Leucopterus
from Falkland Isd
at Brit Museum
for comparison with
those from T del
Fuego brought by King124
[13xe-18xe]
[19x]
Ask Dr Smith
thickness of sandstone
at C. of Good Hope125
How high is the capping of
sandstone on Lions Head
2100ft above sea
Corvus do Mar
for Henslow126
[Whether litters of true hybrids
are heterogenous or homogenous
written upside down]127
[ ]
[8x]
Lyell flint in Potteries116
tooth in Sir
Woodbine's117 possession118
[9xe-10xe]
[11x]
Vol III p. 30 Lyell119
wrong about P. vulpine
Waterhouse
?Type? size for Zoological
Ask Baillierè120
Roget, Bridgewater121
Treatise
Translation of Muller122
[6x]
Lonsdale: S. American
Fossils?104
Correction for Lyell
in little Book105
Lyell Vol. II Poggendorf
Annalen about Albite
ask Lyell to look106
[illeg]
Earle107 Tristan D'Acunha108
Mr Whewell109 depths at
which sea breaks110
[7x]
Cone of Tree from Chile111
Mr Browne
Bomb112 [cannot find it
+ Mark of Tree boxed]—
Is Australian wood coniferous113
[yes all I brought ink over pencil]
nearly all filled with agate Red
Jasper does not
+Norfolk Isld
Macquarie Is??
where can I get account?
Australia & S. America
at all allied Flora.
Wild dogs on West Coast
See 1st Vol of Geograph
Journal114
Bog Iron ore
infusoria115
Fern of Australia being found in
India.
Ask directions about good
lens in Paris.—
[1xe-4xe]
[back end paper excised]
[inside back cover]
[printed label:]
PHELPS.
Original Manufacturer of
HALL'S
Much Approved VELVET PAPER MEMORANDUM BOOKS.
with METALLIC PENCILS, the Points of which will never Break and the Writing remains secure from Erasure
Keep the Points of the Pencils smoothly scraped flat and write with them in the same direction as with a Pen.
2/6
Lyell99
Geograph Journal
1839 p. 288
Subsidence
at Tyre100
[5x] by seeds or not? & what
will it go back to?
Give Miller101
hint, about specimens
[378 yellow encircled]102
Von Hoff translated??103
Take the passage
& see about my mistake
[back cover]
[blank]
NOTES
Biographical notes are adaptations of those given in the Correspondence.
- There are five lines of illegible very feint words written on the inside front end paper.
- Longwood (elevation 1760') was Napoleon's residence on St Helena; it is located in the east-central part of the island (see Cross, 1980).
- Alarm House (elevation 1960'?) is approximately 1 mile west of Longwood.
- Flagstaff Hill (elevation 2275') is on the north-east coast, overlooking Flagstaff Bay.
- Not identified.
- Horse Pasture is a large sloping area about three miles south-west of Jamestown.
- High Hill (elevation 2314') is about two miles south of Horse Pasture.
- Man and Horse is a high cliff area at the south-west corner of St Helena.
- The Flat Rocks are two of the islets off the southern tip of St Helena.
- The Asses Ears (elevation about 1660') are two peaks at the the southern tip of the island.
- South Barn is presumably Sandy Bay Barn (elevation 1413') which is in the centre of the south coast, on the eastern side of Sandy Bay.
- Long Range (elevation 1936') and Long Range Point are on the south-eastern edge of Sandy Bay.
- Cuckholds Point (elevation 2672') is in the centre of the island, on the northern rim of Sandy Bay.
- Halley's Mount (elevation 2200') is halfway between Cuckhold's Point and Alarm House. It was from this point that Edmund Halley observed the transits of Mercury and Venus in 1676.
- See note 8.
- Great Stone Top (elevation 1620') is near the south-east corner of the island.
- See note 7.
- The Barn (elevation 2019') is at the north-west tip of the island.
- See note 4.
- See note 11.
- Green Hill (elevation 1650') is about 1 mile south of Cuckhold's Point.
- West Lodge (elevation 2200') is about 1 mile east-south-cast of High Hill. Darwin both here and in VI refers to it as Nest Lodge.
- See note 11.
- See note 18.
- Lot (elevation 1489') and Lot's Wife (elevation 1516') are peaks in the interior of Sandy Bay.
- See note 4.
- See note 4.
- Casons Gate has not been located.
- High Peak (elevation 2616') is about 2 miles east of High Hill. Darwin's question to himself here almost certainly relates to his Beagle notes (DAR 38ii, f. 929).
- Prosperous Bay is on the north-east coast of St Helena.
- See note 4.
- See note 18.
- See note 11.
- See note 8.
- See note 4.
- Not identified.
- Gould, John (1804-81). Self-taught ornithologist and artist. Taxidermist to the Zoological Society of London, 1826-81. Described the birds collected on the Beagle expedition (Gould, 1838-41). FRS 1834.
- Related matter appears in B249.
- Eyton, Thomas Campbell (1809-80). Shropshire naturalist and collector of bird skins and skeletons. Friend and Cambridge contemporary of Darwin.
- Waterhouse, George Robert (1810-88). Naturalist. A founder of the Entomological Society, 1833. Curator, Zoological Society of London, 1836-43. On staff of the British Museum 1843-80. Described some of Darwin's entomological specimens from the Beagle voyage (see Smith, 1987) as well as the Beagle mammals (Waterhouse, 1838-9).
- 'Waterhouse thinks two main divisions of cats. Tortoise shell & grey-banded. ?species?' B250.
- Sulivan, Bartholomew James (1810-90). Naval officer and hydrographer. Lieutenant in the Beagle, 1831-6. Surveyed the Falkland Islands, 1836-46 (Moore & Scannell, 1986). Admiral 1877.
- Nata cattle are described in Variation 1: 89-91. They may also be the subject of a manuscript Darwin sent to George Robert Gray in December 1838 (see Correspondence 2: 136).
- Almost certainly a reference to Gould's illustration of Darwin's Rhea, Pterocnemia pennata d'Orbigny, which was published in Gould (1841).
- D'Orbigny, Alcide Charles Victor Dessalines (1802-57). French palaeontologist who travelled widely in South America, 1826-34.
- Probably a reference to the figures of South American fossils which appeared in the 'Atlas de la partie historique' of d'Orbigny (1846).
- Colp (1977) does not seem to have found any evidence that Darwin had any ear complaint.
- Lyell, Charles (1797-1875). Uniformitarian geologist. Professor of Geology, King's College, London, 1831-3. President of the Geological Society, 1834-6 and 1849-50. Scientific mentor and friend of Darwin. FRS 1826. Lyell was in Scotland from late August until mid-November 1838 (Wilson, 1972).
- Possibly Desnoyers (1831-2), although Lyell already knew of this paper (Notebooks: 405n35-1).
- Owen, Richard (1804-92). Comparative anatomist. Assistant conservator at the Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons, 1827; Hunterian Professor, 1836-56. Superintendent of the Natural History Department of the British Museum, 1856-84. Described the Beagle fossil mammal specimens (Owen, 1838-40). FRS 1834.
- Caoutchouc, or India-rubber, could be used to seal a bottle.
- An almost identical reference occurs on D40 and the 'Suites' are also referred to on D179 and on the inside back cover of C (Notebooks: 327nIBC-4). The D40 note was made between the 19th and 22nd of August 1838.
- Presumably a reference to subscribers to the Zoology (Freeman, 1977; Correspondence 2).
- Mr Stewart of Stewart and Murray, printers of the Zoology.
- See note 37.
- C. M. Curtis, artist for the Zoology mammalia volume (Waterhouse, 1838-9), no.2 of which appeared in September 1838.
- Smith, Andrew (1797-1872). Army surgeon stationed in South Africa, 1821-37. Principal Medical Officer at Fort Pitt, Chatham, 1837; Deputy Inspector-General, 1845. Director-General, Army Medical Department, 1853-8. FRS 1857. Darwin collected sharks' teeth at Navedad in 1834 (see GSA), but I can trace no connection between Andrew Smith and South America or sharks' teeth.
- Mitchell, Thomas Livingstone (1792-1855). Surveyor-General, New South Wales, 1825-55.
- See C159,189 and D180 on the subject of breeding between native and european dogs.
- See VI: 135 for Mitchell's information on Australian river valleys, published in Mitchell (1838). Darwin records a communication with Mitchell, probably datable to April 1838, on the same subject (see Notebooks: 113n92—1).
- Probably a reference to fossils from Tasmania, judging from the proximity to the following reference (note 62). See Banks (1971) and DAR 40, if. 45-9.
- Brown, Robert (1773-1858). Botanist. Librarian to Joseph Banks, 1810-58. Keeper of the Botanical collections, British Museum, 1827-58. FRS 1811. Mabberley (1985).
- The text on pp.26-7 is drawn over heavily with doodles and sketches of plants. These may be fossil plants from Tasmania given to Robert Brown for description. See fig. 1, and VI: 140.
- 'Major Mitchell is not aware that Australian dogs ever hunt in company—'C213. Entry made in the early summer of 1838.
- May refer to the woodcuts of volcanic bombs in VI: 36, 38.
- Lonsdale, William (1794-1871). Geologist. Served the Geological Society from 1829 to 1842, first as curator and librarian, and after 1838 as assistant secretary and librarian. Lonsdale was a frequent source of information for Darwin.
- This question may be directed at Major Mitchell. See note 60.
- Henrietta Street is near the centre of Bath.
- 'There is a breed of tailless cats, near Bath. Lonsdale' C175. William Lonsdale (see note 66) provided Darwin with other examples of varieties of domesticated animals (Notebooks: 293-4).
- Henslow, John Stevens (1796-1861). Clergyman, botanist, and mineralogist, Cambridge University, 1822-7; Professor of Botany, 1825-61. Darwin's teacher and friend. The background to Henslow's involvement with plants collected by Darwin is given in Porter (1985).
- See note 42.
- The last two lines are written horizontally as was the previous page of text, judging from words on the stub of 34e. The other lines on p.35 were written vertically in the remaining blank space.
- See note 50. The reference has not been traced, although there was correspondence on 'animal magnetism' in The Lancet at this time (e.g. issue of September 22, p. 34).
- Hall (1815) is also referred to in A36. See also note 123.
- 'Miss Martineau (How to Observe p. 213) says charity is found everywhere (is it not present with all associated animals?) I doubted it in Fuegians, till I remembered Bynoes story of the women.—' M142. This entry was made between 13 and 15 September 1838. Note that the name in the St Helena Model notebook is clearly Byron. The reference is to Martineau (1838). See also Correspondence 1: 520.
- 76. Youatt (1834).
- See note 40. 'Wowett on Cattle—(Waterhouse has it)' CIBC.
- Fox, William Darwin (1805-80). Darwin's second cousin. A close friend at Cambridge who shared Darwin's enthusiasm for entomology.
- 'Experimentise on land shells in salt water & lizards do.—' B248.
- Hunter (1837), listed on C270. See note 50.
- Hybrid pintail and common ducks are referred to on D25,26,33,89,IBC. See also Natural Selection: 433n1, and Variation 2: 45.
- Crossing between black grouse and ptarmigan is referred to on D72, dated 8 September 1838 and on D105-6, datable to 13 September 1838. The subject is dealt with in some detail in Natural Selection: 434-6, and Darwin's interest in it seems likely to have originated during his fieldwork at Glen Roy in late June 1838. See Notebooks: 345n43-1.
- Grouse-pheasant hybrids are mentioned on B189,D33,105-6 and E106. See note 82.
- The capercailzie is mentioned on D73 and 105.
- See note 82.
- 86. Probably a reference to Anthus corrender Viellot, mentioned in Gould (1839: 85) as having 'probably a further range southward than any other land-bird in the southern hemisphere.'
- Yarrell, William (1784-1856). Zoologist. Engaged in business as newspaper agent and bookseller in London. Wrote standard works on British birds and fishes.
- Possibly Hunter (1786) or (1792), listed on C267.
- Moore (1765). An almost identical entry occurs on D100. See Notebooks: 362n100-1. This cross-reference almost certainly dates to 13 September 1838.
- This is discussed on D100-1. See Notebooks: 362n100-2, and note 89.
- 'as in pidgeons no new races.—' D104.
- I agree with the reading of this page given in Notebooks: 362n100-2, although the phrase may be 'produce feathers and make bones'. Very similar wording occurs on D112.
- 'Yarrell told me of a cat & a dog, born without front legs—' D108. 'if armless cat can propogate' D112. These pages are datable to between 14 and 16 September 1838.
- Darwin started househunting on or about 25 November 1838 (See Correspondence 2: 120).
- Freeman (1982) gives an excellent account of the events leading up to the establishment of the newlywed Darwin household at 12 Upper Gower Street ('Macaw Cottage') in January 1839.
- This may be Charles Stokes (1783-1853). See Wilson (1972, chapter 10).
- A prospective house in Tavistock Square is mentioned in a letter from Darwin to Emma Wedgwood dated 27 November 1838 (Correspondence 2: 129).
- Thomas Cubitt (1788-1855) is mentioned as the developer of Tavistock Square in Freeman (1982).
- '2/6' is written in the top left hand corner. It is presumably the price of the notebook (two shillings and six pence).
- This reference of 1839 is the latest date in the notebook. The reference is to De Berthou (1839). The only other reference to the 1839 volume of the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London in Darwin's handwriting of which I am aware is the annotation on the letter from J. G. Malcolmson of 7 October 1839 (Correspondence2: 225).
- Miller, William Hallowes (1801-80). Mineralogist and crystallographer. Professor of Mineralogy, Cambridge University, 1832-80. FRS 1838.
- Geological specimen 3378, from Tahiti. There is a note in Darwin's specimen catalogue (on deposit at CUL) to 'V. app[endix] p. 19', which is a reference to DAR 39.1,f.88. The specimen is mentioned in a note from J. S. Henslow dated 5 November 1837-March 1838 (Correspondence 2: 55n2), in Darwin's letter to Henslow of 26 March 1838 (Correspondence 2: 79n4), and in Darwin's letter to W. H. Miller of 16 October-27 November 1842 (Correspondence 2: 339n2).
- Presumably Hoff (1822-24).
- See note 66. One explanation of this entry is that Darwin was entertaining the possibility of William Lonsdale describing at least some of his invertebrate fossils from South America. In the event Lonsdale described Darwin's fossils from Tasmania (Lonsdale 1844) while George Brettingham Sowerby (1788-1854) and Edward Forbes (1815-54) described Darwin's Cenozoic and Mesozoic fossils respectively (Sowerby 1846, Forbes 1846). Darwin enquired concerning Sowerby's credentials for the task in a letter to J. S. Henslow of October 1836 (Correspondence 1: 512n4). Sowerby also described Darwin's shells from the Cape Verdes and from St Helena and Tasmania (Sowerby 1844).
- Possibly a reference to Lyell (1840). Darwin was reading this work in manuscript in September 1838 (see Correspondence 2: 107n8).
- Lyell (1837,2: 175) 'According to Von Buch, the American volcanic rocks contain generally less albite instead of common felspar as a principal ingredient (Poggendorf's Annalen, 1836, p. 190).'
- Earle, Augustus (1793-1838). Artist and traveller. Artist in the Beagle, 1831-2. Hackforth-Jones (1980).
- Augustus Earle spent nine months on Tristan da Cunha in 1824 (see note 107). Darwin may have been interested in the action of waves on the island (see note 110).
- 109. Whewell, William (1794-1866). Mathematician and historian and philosopher of science. Tutor at Trinity College, Cambridge, 1823-38; Master 1841-66. Professor of Mineralogy, Cambridge University, 1828-32. FRS 1820.
- In a letter to Robert Mallet (1810-81) of 26 August 1846 Darwin says he consulted William Whewell (see note 109) on the subject of waves while preparing JR. See Correspondence 3: 335. In A59 the subject of breaking waves is mentioned with respect to Tristan da Cunha (see note 108).
- See note 62.
- See note 65.
- There is a general connection between these entries and those on B187 and C238-9.
- The wild dogs of King George's Sound are discussed by Nind (1832: 29).
- See Ehrenberg (1837), mentioned on A93 (Notebooks:114n93-1).
- See notes 140 and 160.
- Parish, Woodbine (1796-1882). Diplomat. Charge d'affaires in Buenos Aires, 1825-32. FRS 1824.
- Possibly a reference to the 'single detached tooth' of a Megatherium, mentioned as having been in Parish's collection by Owen (1840: 102).
- 'Thus the Phalangista vulpina inhabits both Sumatra and New Holland' Lyell (1837, 3: 30). Lyell took his reference from Temminck (1827: 16, 19). Waterhouse told Darwin that he did not believe Temminck's statement to be true, in a letter sent to 12 Upper Gower Street (and therefore dating from the last few days of 1838 at the earliest; see Correspondence 2: 154). There is a very similar entry in B249e (Notebooks: 232-3).
- Baillière, Hippolyte (d.1867). Bookseller and publisher in London who specialised in French medical and scientific texts.
- Roget (1834).
- Muller (1838-42).
- Hall (1815: 157). This entry cross-refers to p. 36 (see note 74). It is not clear why Darwin has added a reference to the eighth volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- See King (1828: 423-6).
- 125. See note 57. The sandstone, which is 2000 feet thick, is described in VI: 150-152.
- See note 70. A mistake for Cocos do mer, mentioned on E164 in relation to discussions with Henslow on 27 May 1839.
- 'Are the hybrids of those species. which cross & are fertile heterogenous' DIBC. See Notebooks: 345n43-1.
- See note 56.
- These two entries relate to information given by Smith on the geology of South Africa (see notes 125 and 131).
- See note 66.
- This is presumably Smith's reply to Darwin's enquiry at the top of the page.
- Darwin found Mastodon teeth at Gorodona (GSA: 87-8; Owen, 1840: 108). See notes 137-8.
- Sonnerat (1782).
- See note 37.
- Cheroptamus Cuvier is an Eocene mammal related to pigs (Buckland, 1836 1: 80).
- Egerton, Philip de Malpas Grey (1806-81). Of Oulton Park, Cheshire. Tory MP for South Cheshire, 1835-68. FRS 1831. Egerton was a vertebrate palaeontologist, specializing in fossil fish and footprints.
- Kaup (1832-5).
- Mastodon augustidens Cuvier is referred to on C46 and E32, the latter reference dated 26 October 1838. See note 132.
- Hall (1812).
- Hall (1812). An almost verbatim reference to the same observation occurs on A111, datable to before 11 August 1838. This may cross-refer to the subject touched on in notes 116 and 160.
- This is a list of the plates thought necessary to illustrate the fossil mammalia of the Beagle (Owen, 1838-40). The following are the most probable identifications of the plates listed:
'Edentate Head' |
Glossotherium in Owen (1839: pl. 16) |
'Mastodont' |
not illustrated |
'Tessalated covering' |
Hoplophorus Owen (1840: pl. 32, figs. 4-5) |
'Scelidotherium' |
Scelidotherium Owen (1839-40: pls. 20-8) |
'Lower jaw' |
Megalonyx in Owen (1840: pl. 29) |
'Megatherium' |
Megatherium Owen (1840: pl. 30) |
- Not identified.
- Probably refers to a supposed fossil rat listed by Clift (1831), mentioned on C131 (see Notebooks: 278n131-1). See note 144.
- See note 50. Possibly Darwin was seeking Owen's opinion as to whether the rat (see note 143) was correctly identified.
- Darwin seems to be asking if he should donate a copy of Waterhouse (1838-9) to the Institute de France.
- See notes 48 and 156. Lyell gave Darwin a letter written to him in March 1838 which reported volcanic dust falling on a ship at sea (Correspondence 2: 77-8).
- A very similar passage occurs on D65, dated 7 September 1838. See also note 152.
- See note 42. There are several entries concerning wild dogs of the world in the Notebooks (e.g. D7-8).
- 'Breeding in & in Infertility & loss of passion?? in Male?' occurs in draft 'Questions for Mr Wynne', datable to February—July 1838 (Correspondence 2: 71).
- Closely related discussion occurs on D163, dated 25 September 1838.
- '(.. & not effect of breeding in & in like our pidgeons)' D88.
- See note 147.
- See notes 39 and 151.
- See note 48.
- Prichard (1836).
- See note 146.
- See note 94.
- See note 48.
- Carlyle, Thomas (1795-1881). Essayist and historian. Darwin met Carlyle for the first time in November 1838 (Correspondence 2:128).
- See notes 116 and 140.
- See note 48. Lyell mentioned Salisbury Craigs in his letter to Darwin dated 6 and 8 September 1838 (Correspondence 2:99).
- Maclaren, Charles (1782-1866). Established The Scotsman, 1817; editor, 1820-45. Wrote on geological subjects. Presumably Darwin knew of Maclaren (1839).