Darwin’s MS, volume 162
This volume contains letters to Darwin: Dabney – Dupré and miscellaneous notes pertaining to Expression of the emotions, Cross and self fertilisation, Movement in plants and Earthworms. I have extracted the notes and drafts that have not been previously transcribed. Corrections welcome. Where a title is absent on the MS, the best description is adopted. Click on the classmark (DAR) for image view in Cambridge University Library archive.
Citation: Darwin, C. R. Undated. Mimulus Luteus Greenhouse Plants. DAR162:76
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023), the transcripts of this volume has since been shared with Darwin Online.
Transcript:
[1]
ap. 30 /74/
10° 50’
Mimulus Luteus Greenhouse Plants
Syringed hard on stigma of 7 flowers & none shut & when afterwards touched with needle & blotting Paper did not shut! can cold water of Temp. of room paralyze them? Temp. ─ 56°
One did shut & another partially so I tried 9 flowers.
(At 11° 25’ (ie after only 35m) 6 of these flowers shut when touch with fine needle for human hair is not stimulus enough.
(12° most of them open again)
(2° 30’ touched the stigma of several with damp blotting-paper all shut up well.)
(N.B during rainy weather I suppose it wd be injurious no for stigma to close over wet pollen, but there is no too good adaptation.) (Try put on water & then pollen.) (Possibly may be adaptation try cold rain)
June 1 8° A.m. Syringed 22 flowers with water at Temp. 80°-81° & now 15 of them shut immediately by [text damaged] did not do so — [text damaged] when are sensitive to very fine stream of [text damaged] less than [text damaged]. When they are
[text damaged]
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Mimulus
May 4th The stigma considerably protected by upper part of corolla & could only be touched by obliquely driving rain, & this n never touch it with anything like forces of syringing; so I conclude that occasional closing of stigma of no more use than the closing from heat.— Moreover I put on dry pollen on stigma with drops of water & this made stigma close & they never opened again— & as corolla dropped next day I suppose were fertilised,
Hence drops of water [text damaged] it’s given at same time with day [illeg] [text damaged]rally not in put [text damaged]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 01.07.1842. Early Frame and of Woodfords Green Marrow Peas. DAR162:79
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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Shrewsbury July 1 1842
Saw some a rows of Early Frame and of Woodfords Green Marrow Peas, whose respective fathers & grandfathers had grown close together & these peas compared with two rows of the true kinds raised from bought seed, showed no difference in their present state, (fit for eating) nor did they when first springing above the ground. But the difference between them are so slight as not to be easily discoverable until pod is ripe where one pea is white & other green. ─ Last year Abberley fancied that a few of the white kind was streaked a very little with green.─
Also saw rows of Beans (?) Early Long Pod & Easy Magazine whose fathers & grandfathers had grown close to each other & close to Fan Bean & all appeared to come up true.─ These two, however, are very little different, but the Earl Fan Bean is widely different.─
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These Peas & Beans were in flower together ─
Abberley will look at seeds.─
Most hostile facts to me = are Humbles driven away by tame Bees???!─
The two Peas differ in the earliness of maturity but an intermediate form might escape.─
I must experimentise myself. =
= And mem: on scrap says “March 1842 year before last Beans & Peas were planted in rows adjoining & seeds gathered & these seeds were planted last year pell-mell, without sticks & seeds gathered and are now planted this year” ─ now the result has been described.─
[Note:
- John Abberley was Robert Waring Darwin’s gardener at the Mount. He assisted Charles Darwin on various observations.
- See Questions & experiments notebook. CUL-DAR206.1: 10a]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 10.04.1868. Frank has been sneering violently in different ways. DAR162:80b
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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April 10/68 Frank has been sneering violently in different ways & some groans, but Platysma did not act─ when he draws edge of mouth backward & downward the platysma acts instantly. He do & skin became wrinkled in diverging lines.─
He wrinkled eyelid & when he groaned I think eyebrow became oblique.─
[Note: See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 25.05.1867. Frank has been sneering violently in different ways. DAR162:80c
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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May 25/67/ Engleheart says he is certain when Mr. Lubbock was miserable from fractured skull & screamed incessantly, & certainly has not conscious pain, the Platysma myoides acted most strongly.
I was led to suspect this from appearance of Duchenne’s photograph so little form of mouth when a person screams.─
[Note:
- See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions
- Engleheart, Stephen Paul, 1831?-85. 1859 Fellow Royal College of Surgeons, London. 1861-70 Village surgeon/physician at Down, known to Darwin family as “Spengle”. Drowned in Old Calabar, Nigeria, Africa, trying to visit a patient.
- Lubbock, Montagu, 1842-1925. Doctor of Medicine (London and Paris). Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. John Lubbock’s younger brother. 1861 L seriously injured in a carriage accident. 1862 Feb. 24 CD to Innes, “They [the John Lubbocks] gave us a good account of poor Montague”. CCD10:92.
(n2 & 3: Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021)]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 04.08.1867. William saw child while had been crying. DAR162:96
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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Aug 4/67/ William saw child while had been crying, & which stopped when looked at, & was on point of recrying, & mouth was drawn in splendid Horse-shoe ─ & W. remarked that the crying muscles were likewise in action.─
[Note: See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 14.03.1863. W. saw young L. checking yawn in concert. DAR162:97
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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March 14/68/ W. saw young L. checking yawn in concert & depressor anguli on & apparently little gyration (for upper lip drawn into double curve) acted powerfully agrees well with these muscles being less under will then that other muscles which open mouth widely from yawn.─
[Note:
- See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions
- W refers to William Darwin.]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. Undated. Etty says she saw Carter children. DAR162:99.1
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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Etty says she saw before Carter children before wailing & crying depress the corner of mouth in → appearance laughable degree. There can be no (see Duchenne in adult the deflection to) & doubtful ─ In appearance as if [illeg] act act [illeg] abnormal open also a its [….] tically to great [spread] & close of [similar] muscle is brought into [text excised]
when no [illeg] [text excised]
[Note:
- See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions
- Etty refers to Henrietta Emma Darwin (1843-1927), later Mrs Litchfield.]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 23.04.1878. Mimosa pudica (& albida). DAR162:109
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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[In another’s hand:] From 94
ap 23 1878.
On account of P. Berts view that rising & falling of petioles of mimosa sensitive due to chemical changes p. 986 of Reveuc) it wd be very important to know whether they rise & fall in same lines ie whether there is circumnutation.─ but I shd have to keep in bed-room in Heat of summer
Mimosa pudica (& albida)
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 02-05.02.1881. Petioles of Robinia. DAR162:113
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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1881
Petioles of Robinia
Feb 2d. 1881 ─ F. [Francis] found 3 inserted by base in Sir Johns [John Lubbock] wood they are long ─ one was 8 1/2 inches & these tapering considerably from base ─ when fresh cd be easily bent.─
(4 from Southampton, 3 base, 1 by apex)
2 of the 3 largely gnawed all round then inserted bases.
3 Frank from Mr Teesdale
Drawn in by apex. 18
Drawn in by base & apparently gnawed 10
The 3 above not been counted
Drawn in by base & apparently not gnawed 26
Total by Base 36
one drawn in by bending double in middle — Dragged in, in many parts of England.
Some of petioles very small 11 1/2 inches in length
Feb. 5. I have been looking again, I must say that gnawed at base ─ some however, have the fibrous layer beneath bark, more frayed than others.
Those which had been drawn in by apex, retained much more commonly some bark at base, than those drawn in by base, but then the litter may have rotted off, for bark of petiole evidently rots very easily.
Moreover, in their dried fallen condition the petioles become thinner (with no pistil) just above their former point of attachment & this might guide the worms ─ nor is any plant so thick ─ either end cd be easily drawn in the burrows their petioles were collected in Feb. after petioles so much rotted hard to judge about gnawing (over)
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Feb. 5 F. collected more petioles from Mr Teesdales & thinks a good many had been collect drawn in since the 2d & if so they wd have drawn in pointed ends.
By base 15 Bark, more fragment left on any one of those 15)
By apex 24 12 of these with some Bark & one perfect} put a rock
Doubled up & drawn in 2.
Feb. 10th I have looked at petioles soaked for 5 days. It is my mistake that became narrower close above base─ the outer cortical layer is here very thick & shrivel much when dryed off but well again in water.─ When this layer scraped off appearance the same as in what I called gnawed petioles ─ Sole evidence of gnawing is the removal of bark at base in those drawn in by base ─ In soaked for 5 days, this part not so easily [removed] & I have now buried in formerly possessed earth to see if removed in with dung those from ground─ After 2 days these were pulled out of earth & the whole of the bark was removed. [It is] evident of these petioles having been gnawed: this is only inherent probability this thick layer of soft tissue wd not be neglected.─ It is possible that worms draw such these objects inside
I believe gnawed but not certain
[Note:
- F refers to Francis Darwin.
- Sir John is Sir John Lubbock at High Elms
- The Teesdales were close family friends and neighbour.
- See Darwin’s book Earthworms.]
Citation: Darwin, C. R. 15.03.1871. Pouting. DAR162:138.1-2
Transcribed and edited by: Christine Chua (08.2023)
Transcript:
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Pouting. I well remember the oran orang when sulky disappointed & thinking itself injured, protruded its lips in an extraordinary way, in fact pouted
Hence children by descent do the same; let wh [text excised] I cannot conjec
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in children should show interested expression of Pouting (& it is expressive as far as I know chiefly confined to is not more surprising, in same manner than that, as kids & should retain from display their alpine parentage a taste for by frisky in [text excised]
[2]
March 15/71 Quite a small proportion of children pout — Mr Keele Mr Keele Sandford (through William) & other evidence
C. Hawkshaw &c &c — I infer that pouting must be extremely general with savages, & is now being lost with us.—
[Note: See Darwin’s book Expression of the emotions]