The Correspondence of Charles Darwin: Volume 23, 1875

Letters from 1875, when Darwin published Insectivorous plants and began work on Cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom.

Charles Darwin (Author), Frederick Burkhardt (Edited by), James A. Secord (Edited by), The Editors of the Darwin Correspondence Project (Edited by)

9781107134362, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 December 2015

840 pages, 22 b/w illus.
24.1 x 16.2 x 5.1 cm, 1.42 kg

'… this latest volume of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin shares the same high production values, attention to detail and scholarly scrupulousness evident in all its predecessors. Amongst the six appendices, for example, are a list of all the periodical reviews of Insectivorous Plants and a hugely valuable account of Darwin's dealings with the question of vivisection, including the text of his testimony to the Royal Commission on the vexed issue.' Gowan Dawson, British Journal for the History of Science

This volume is part of the definitive edition of letters written by and to Charles Darwin, the most celebrated naturalist of the nineteenth century. Notes and appendixes put these fascinating and wide-ranging letters in context, making the letters accessible to both scholars and general readers. Darwin depended on correspondence to collect data from all over the world, and to discuss his emerging ideas with scientific colleagues, many of whom he never met in person. The letters are published chronologically: Volume 23 includes letters from 1875, the year in which Darwin wrote and published Insectivorous plants, a botanical work that was a great success with the reading public, and started writing Cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. The volume contains an appendix on the 1875 anti-vivisection debates, with which Darwin was closely involved, giving evidence before a Royal Commission on the subject.

List of illustrations
List of letters
Introduction
Acknowledgments
List of provenances
Note on editorial policy
Darwin/Wedgwood genealogy
Abbreviations and symbols
The correspondence
Appendix I. Translations
Appendix II. Chronology
Appendix III. Diplomas
Appendix IV. Presentation lists for Insectivorous plants and Climbing plants 2d ed.
Appendix V. Reviews of Insectivorous plants
Appendix VI. Darwin and vivisection
Manuscript alterations and comments
Biographical register and index to correspondents
Bibliography
Notes on manuscript sources
Index.

Subject Areas: Evolution [PSAJ], Biology, life sciences [PS], History of science [PDX], Philosophy of science [PDA]