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"Great Writers."

Edited by

Professor Eric S. Robertson, M.A.,

LIFE OF DARWIN.


LIFE OF CHARLES DARWIN

by

G. T. BETTANY







London
Walter Scott
24 Warwick Lane, Paternoster Row
1887




CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
                                                                    PAGE
Darwin's ancestry; his grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, a
successful physician, and author of "The Botanic Garden," "The
Temple of Nature," &c.; his father, Robert Waring Darwin, also
a successful physician; his maternal grandfather, Josiah
Wedgwood, the celebrated potter; his mother's education and
training; Charles Robert Darwin, born at Shrewsbury, Feb. 12,
1809; Mrs. Darwin dies in July, 1817; her eldest son, Erasmus,
friend of the Carlyles; Charles Darwin's education by Mr. Case,
and at Shrewsbury Grammar School; his character as a boy; is
sent to Edinburgh University in 1825                                 11

CHAPTER II.

Darwin a member of the Plinian Society, of Edinburgh; makes
natural history excursions; his first scientific paper read
March 27, 1827; friendship with Dr. Grant; Jameson's lectures
on zoology; Darwin enters Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1828;
his friendship with Prof. Henslow; his account of Henslow;
Darwin at this time specially an entomologist; his excursions
with Henslow; takes B.A. degree in 1831, M.A. in 1837; voyage
of _Beagle_ proposed, and Darwin appointed as naturalist;
the _Beagle_ sails on Dec. 27, 1831; Darwin's letters to
Henslow published 1835; 1832, Darwin at Teneriffe, Cape
de Verde Islands, St. Paul's Rocks, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro
(April); excursions into interior and amusing adventures;
his experiences and horror of slavery; at Monte Video,
July; Maldonado, Rio <DW64>; visit to Tierra del Fuego, Dec.
1832--Jan. 1833; _rencontre_ with General Rosas; many extinct
animals discovered; Buenos Ayres, Sept. 1833; excursion to
Santa Fe; Port Desire, Dec. 1833; Port St. Julian, Jan. 1834;
Valparaiso, July 1834; expeditions to the Andes, Santiago, &c.;
Chiloe, Nov. 1834; the Chonos Archipelago, Dec. 1834; Valdivia,
Feb. 1835; an earthquake experience; expedition across the
Cordillera in March, 1835; voyage across the Pacific commenced
in September; the Galapagos Archipelago and its interesting
animals; Tahiti, Nov. 1835; Darwin's opinion of English
products, and of the influence of Christian missionaries; New
Zealand, Dec. 1835; Port Jackson, Jan. 1836; Tasmania, Feb.;
the Keeling Islands, April; the homeward journey; Falmouth
reached, Oct. 2, 1836; Capt. Fitzroy's opinion of Darwin;
Darwin's first impression of savages                                 22

CHAPTER III.

Darwin elected F.G.S.; Lyell's high opinion of him; secretary
of the Geological Society, Feb. 1838-41; reads numerous papers
before the Society; elected F.R.S., Jan. 24, 1839; marries his
cousin, Miss Wedgwood, early in 1839; "Journal of Researches,"
published 1839, highly praised in _Quarterly Review_;
publication of zoology of the _Beagle_ (1839-43); extraordinary
animals described therein; other results of the voyage;
plants described by Hooker and Berkeley; work on "Coral
Reefs" published 1842; Darwin's new theory at once accepted;
subsequent views of Semper, Dana, and Murray; second and third
parts of Geology of _Beagle_ ("Volcanic Islands" and "South
America"); other geological papers; Darwin settles at Down
House, near Beckenham, 1842; appears at Oxford meeting of
British Association, 1847; contributes chapter on Geology to
Herschel's manual of Scientific Enquiry; publishes great works
on recent and fossil cirripedia, 1851-4; receives Royal Medal
of Royal Society, 1853, and Wollaston Medal of Geological
Society, 1859                                                        51

CHAPTER IV.

Confusion in description of species; labours of Professors Owen
and Huxley; Darwin's ideas on the origin of species germinated
during the voyage of the _Beagle_; he collected facts,
1837-42; drew up a sketch, 1842; enlarged it in 1844; previous
speculations on the subject; views of Erasmus Darwin, Geoffroy
St. Hilaire, and Lamarck; Darwin's opinion of Lamarck;
influence of Lyell; influence of South American experience;
reads Malthus on Population; "Vestiges of Creation "; Mr.
Herbert Spencer and evolution; Lyell's letters; Sir Joseph
Hooker on species; Mr. A. R. Wallace communicates his views to
Darwin; Lyell and Hooker persuade Darwin to publish his views
together with those of Wallace; introductory letter by Lyell
and Hooker to Linnean Society, June 30, 1858; Darwin's and
Wallace's papers, read July 1, 1858; Sir J. Hooker announces
his adhesion to Darwin's views, 1859                                 64

CHAPTER V.

Analysis of the "Origin of Species," published Nov. 1859;
special notes of Darwin's personal experiences; remarkable
growth of morphology and embryology since its publication;
opposition to the new views; criticisms of leading journals and
reviews; second edition of "Origin," called for in six weeks;
third, in March 1861; historical sketch of progress of opinion
prefixed; alterations in successive editions; sixth edition,
1872; foreign translations                                           79

CHAPTER VI.

Darwin's physical appearance, habits, distinguished visitors;
his kindliness; attachment of friends; his family; he reads
important botanical papers before the Linnean Society;
publishes the "Fertilisation of Orchids," 1862; analysis of
the book; Darwin receives Copley Medal of Royal Society, 1864;
"Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants," 1865; "Variation of
Animals and Plants under Domestication," 1868; the hypothesis
of pangenesis not favourably received                               100

CHAPTER VII.

"The Descent of Man," 1871; Darwin's varied use of personal
experiences; his views on the differences between men and
women; his views on happiness and its promotion in mankind;
reception of the "Descent of Man"; _Punch_, the _Quarterlies_,
_The Saturday Review_                                               113

CHAPTER VIII.

"Expression of the Emotions," 1872; Darwin's methods of
studying the question; his personal experiences; studies of
children; reminiscences of South American travel; studies of
monkeys; his wide study of novels; his influence on mental
science                                                             126

CHAPTER IX.

"Insectivorous Plants," 1875; how Darwin was led to
study them; analysis of the book; "Effects of Cross and
Self-Fertilisation," 1876; competitive germination and
growth; "The Different Forms of Flowers," 1877; "The Power
of Movement in Plants," 1880                                        136

CHAPTER X.

Honours bestowed on Darwin; his reception at Cambridge in 1877;
portraits by Richmond and Collier; Haeckel's and De Candolle's
descriptions of visits to Darwin; "The Formation of Vegetable
Mould by Earthworms," 1881; the long series of experiments on
which it was based; obligations of archaeologists to worms;
gradual exhaustion in 1882; his death on April 19, 1882             146

CHAPTER XI.

Darwin buried in Westminster Abbey, April 26, 1882; quotation
from _The Times_; subscriptions to Darwin memorial; large
number of subscriptions from Sweden; statue executed by Mr.
Boehm, placed in Museum of Natural History, South Kensington,
unveiled by Prince of Wales, June 9, 1885; remainder of fund
handed to Royal Society to promote biological research; _The
Saturday Review_ on Darwin; his geniality and humour; his
influence on others; his lack of prejudice; extracts from his
letters;