VOLUME I.

OUTLINE OF CHARLES DARWIN'S LIFE.

BASED ON HIS DIARY, DATED AUGUST 1838.

References to the Journals in which Mr. Darwin's papers were published

will be found in his "Life and Letters" III., Appendix II. We are

greatly indebted to Mr. C.F. Cox, of New York, for calling our attention

to mistakes in the Appendix, and we take this opportunity of correcting

them.

Appendix II., List ii.--Mr. Romanes spoke on Mr. Darwin's essay on

Instinct at a meeting of the Linnean Society, December 6th, 1883, and

some account of it is given in "Nature" of the same date. But it was not

published by the Linnean Society.

Appendix II., List iii.--"Origin of saliferous deposits. Salt lakes of

Patagonia and La Plata" (1838). This is the heading of an extract from

Darwin's volume on South America reprinted in the "Quarterly Journal

of the Geological Society," Volume II., Part ii., "Miscellanea," pages

127-8, 1846.

The paper on "Analogy of the Structure of some Volcanic Rocks, etc." was

published in 1845, not in 1851.

A paper "On the Fertilisation of British Orchids by Insect Agency,"

in the "Entomologist's Weekly Intelligencer" viii., and "Gardeners'

Chronicle," June 9th, 1860, should be inserted in the bibliography.

1809. February 12th: Born at Shrewsbury.

1817. Death of his mother.

1818. Went to Shrewsbury School.

1825. Left Shrewsbury School.

1826.

October: Went to Edinburgh University. Read two papers before the

Plinian Society of Edinburgh "at the close of 1826 or early in 1827."

1827. Entered at Christ's College, Cambridge.

1828. Began residence at Cambridge.

1831.

January: Passed his examination for B.A., and kept the two following

terms.

August: Geological tour with Sedgwick.

September 11th: Went to Plymouth to see the "Beagle."

October 2nd: "Took leave of my home."

December 27th: "Sailed from England on our circumnavigation."

1832.

January 16th: "First landed on a tropical shore" (Santiago).

1833.

December 6th: "Sailed for last time from Rio Plata."

1834.

June 10th: "Sailed for last time from Tierra del Fuego."

1835.

September 5th: "Sailed from west shores of South America."

November 16th: Letters to Professor Henslow, read at a meeting of the

Cambridge Philosophical Society.

November 18th: Paper read before the Geological Society on Notes made

during a Survey of the East and West Coasts of South America in years

1832-35.

1836.

May 31st: Anchored at the Cape of Good Hope.

October 2nd: Anchored at Falmouth.

October 4th: Reached Shrewsbury after an absence of five years and two

days.

December 13th: Went to live at Cambridge.

1837.

January 4th: Paper on Recent Elevation in Chili read.

March 13th: Settled at 36, Great Marlborough Street.

March 14th: Paper on "Rhea" read.

May: Read papers on Coral Formation, and on the Pampas, to the

Geological Society.

July: Opened first note-book on Transmutation of Species.

March 13th to November: Occupied with his Journal.

October and November: Preparing the scheme for the Zoology of the Voyage

of the "Beagle." Working at Geology of South America.

November 1st: Read the paper on Earthworms before the Geological

Society.

1838.

Worked at the Geology of South America and Zoology of Voyage. "Some

little species theory."

March 7th: Read paper on the Connexion of certain Volcanic Phenomena and

on the Formation of Mountain Chains, to the Geological Society.

May: Health began to break down.

June 23rd: Started for Glen Roy. The paper on Glen Roy was written in

August and September.

October 5th: Began Coral paper.

November 11th: Engaged to be married to his cousin, Emma Wedgwood.

December 31st: "Entered 12 Upper Gower Street."

1839.

January 29th: Married at Maer.

February and March: Some work on Corals and on Species Theory.

March (part) and April: Working at Coral paper. Papers on a Rock seen

on an Iceberg, and on the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. Published "Journal

and Remarks," being volume iii. of the "Narrative of the Surveying

Voyages of H.M.S. 'Adventure' and 'Beagle,' etc." For the rest of the

year, Corals and Zoology of the Voyage. Publication of the "Zoology of

the Voyage of H.M.S. 'Beagle,'" Part II. (Mammalia).

1840.

Worked at Corals and the Zoology of the Voyage. Contributed Geological

introduction to Part I. of the "Zoology of the Voyage" (Fossil Mammalia

by Owen).

1841.

Publication of Part III. of the "Zoology of the Voyage" (Birds). Read

paper on Boulders and Glacial Deposits of South America, to Geological

Society. Published paper on a remarkable bar of Sandstone off

Pernambuco, on the coast of Brazil. Publication of Part IV. of "Zoology

of the Voyage" (Fish).

1842.

May 6th: Last proof of the Coral book corrected.

June: Examined Glacier action in Wales. "Wrote pencil sketch of my

Species Theory."

July: Wrote paper on Glaciers of Caernarvonshire.

October: Began his book on Volcanic Islands.

1843.

Working at "Volcanic Islands" and "some Species work."

1844.

February 13th: Finished "Volcanic Islands."

July to September: Wrote an enlarged version of Species Theory. Papers

on Sagitta, and on Planaria.

July 27th: Began his book on the Geology of South America.

1845.

Paper on the Analogy of the Structure of Volcanic Rocks with that of

Glaciers. "Proc. R. Soc. Edin."

April 25th to August 25th: Working at second edition of "Naturalist's

Voyage."

1846.

October 1st: Finished last proof of "Geological Observations on South

America." Papers on Atlantic Dust, and on Geology of Falkland Islands,

communicated to the Geological Society. Paper on Arthrobalanus.

1847.

Working at Cirripedes. Review of Waterhouse's "Natural History of the

Mammalia."

1848.

March 20th: Finished Scientific Instructions in Geology for the

Admiralty Manual. Working at Cirripedes. Paper on Erratic Boulders.

1849.

Health especially bad. Working at Cirripedes.

March-June: Water-cure at Malvern.

1850.

Working at Cirripedes. Published Monographs of Recent and Fossil

Lepadidae.

1852.

Working at Cirripedes.

1853.

November 30th: "Royal Medal given to me."

1854.

Published Monographs on Recent and on Fossil Balanidae and Verrucidae.

September 9th: Finished packing up all my Cirripedes. "Began sorting

notes for Species Theory."

1855.

March-April: Experiments on the effect of salt water on seeds. Papers on

Icebergs and on Vitality of Seeds.

1856.

May 14th: "Began, by Lyell's advice, writing Species Sketch" (described

in "Life and Letters" as the "Unfinished Book").

December 16th: Finished Chapter III. Paper read to Linnean Society, On

Sea-water and the Germination of Seeds.

1857.

September 29th: Finished Chapters VII. and VIII.

September 30th to December 29th: Working on Hybridism. Paper on the

Agency of Bees in the Fertilisation of Papilionaceous Flowers.

1858.

March 9th: "Finished Instinct chapter."

June 18th: Received Mr. Wallace's sketch of his evolutionary theory.

July 1st: Joint paper of Darwin and Wallace read at the Linnean Society.

July 20th to July 27th: "Began Abstract of Species book," i.e., the

"Origin of Species," at Sandown, I.W. Paper on Bees and Fertilisation of

Flowers.

1859.

May 25th: Began proof-sheets of the "Origin of Species."

November 24th: Publication of the "Origin": 1250 copies printed.

October 2nd to December 9th: At the water-cure establishment, Ilkley,

Yorkshire.

1860.

January 7th: Publication of Edition II. of "Origin" (3000 copies).

January 9th: "Looking over MS. on Variation." Paper on the Fertilisation

of British Orchids.

July and again in September: Made observations on Drosera. Paper on

Moths and Flowers. Publication of "A Naturalist's Voyage."

1861.

Up to July at work on "Variation under Domestication."

April 30th: Publication of Edition III. of "Origin" (2000 copies).

July to the end of year: At work on Orchids.

November: Primula paper read at Linnean Society. Papers on Pumilio and

on Fertilisation of Vinca.

1862.

May 15th: Orchid book published. Working at Variation. Paper on

Catasetum (Linnean Society). Contribution to Chapter III. of Jenyns'

Memoir of Henslow.

1863.

Working at "Variation under Domestication." Papers on Yellow Rain,

the Pampas, and on Cirripedes. A review of Bates' paper on Mimetic

Butterflies. Severe illness to the end of year.

1864.

Illness continued until April. Paper on Linum published by the Linnean

Society.

May 25th: Paper on Lythrum finished.

September 13th: Paper on Climbing Plants finished. Work on "Variation

under Domestication."

November 30th: Copley medal awarded to him.

1865.

January 1st: Continued at work on Variation until April 22nd. The work

was interrupted by illness until late in the autumn.

February: Read paper on Climbing Plants.

December 25th: Began again on Variation.

1866.

Continued work at "Variation under Domestication."

March 1st to May 10th: At work on Edition IV. of the "Origin." Published

June (1250 copies). Read paper on Cytisus scoparius to the Linnean

Society.

December 22nd: Began the last chapter of "Variation under

Domestication."

1867.

November 15th: Finished revises of "Variation under Domestication."

December: Began papers on Illegitimate Unions of Dimorphic and

Trimorphic Plants, and on Primula.

1868.

January 30th: Publication of "Variation under Domestication."

February 4th: Began work on Man.

February 10th: New edition of "Variation under Domestication." Read

papers on Illegitimate Unions of Dimorphic and Trimorphic Plants, and on

Verbascum.

1869.

February 10th: "Finished fifth edition of 'Origin'; has taken me

forty-six days."

Edition V. published in May.

Working at the "Descent of Man." Papers on the Fertilisation of Orchids,

and on the Fertilisation of Winter-flowering Plants.

1870.

Working at the "Descent of Man." Paper on the Pampas Woodpecker.

1871.

January 17th: Began the "Expression of the Emotions."

February 24th: "Descent of Man" published (2500 copies).

April 27th: Finished the rough copy of "Expression."

June 18th: Began Edition VI. of "Origin." Paper on the Fertilisation of

Leschenaultia.

1872.

January 10th: Finished proofs of Edition VI. of the "Origin," and "again

rewriting 'Expression.'"

August 22nd: Finished last proofs of "Expression."

August 23rd: Began working at Drosera.

November: "Expression" published (7000 copies, and 2000 more printed at

the end of the year.)

November 8th: "At Murray's sale 5267 copies sold to London booksellers."

1873.

January: Correcting the Climbing Plants paper for publication as a book.

February 3rd: At work on "Cross-fertilisation."

February to September: Contributions to "Nature."

June 14th: "Began Drosera again."

November 20th: Began "Descent of Man," Edition II.

1874.

"Descent of Man," Edition II, in one volume, published (Preface dated

September). "Coral Reefs," Edition II., published.

April 1st: Began "Insectivorous Plants."

February to May: Contributed notes to "Nature."

1875.

July 2nd: "Insectivorous Plants" published (3000 copies); 2700 copies

sold immediately.

July 6th: "Correcting 2nd edition of 'Variation under Domestication.'"

It was published in the autumn.

September 1st (approximately): Began on "Cross and Self-Fertilisation."

November: Vivisection Commission.

1876.

May 5th: "Finished MS., first time over, of 'Cross and

Self-Fertilisation.'"

May to June: Correction of "Fertilisation of Orchids," Edition II. Wrote

his Autobiographical Sketch.

May and November: Contributions to "Nature."

August 19th: First proofs of "Cross and Self-Fertilisation."

November 10th: "Cross and Self-Fertilisation" published (1500 copies).

1877.

"All the early part of summer at work on 'Different Forms of Flowers.'"

July: Publication of "Different Forms of Flowers" (1250 copies). During

the rest of the year at work on the bloom on leaves, movements of

plants, "and a little on worms."

November: LL.D. at Cambridge. Second edition of "Fertilisation of

Orchids" published. Contributions to "Nature," "Gardeners' Chronicle,"

and "Mind."

1878.

The whole year at work on movements of plants, and on the bloom on

leaves.

May: Contribution to "Nature." Second edition of "Different Forms of

Flowers." Wrote prefatory letter to Kerner's "Flowers and their Unbidden

Guests."

1879.

The whole year at work on movements of plants, except for "about six

weeks" in the spring and early summer given to the "Life of Erasmus

Darwin," which was published in the autumn. Contributions to "Nature."

1880. "All spring finishing MS. of 'Power of Movement in Plants' and

proof sheets." "Began in autumn on Worms." Prefatory notice written for

Meldola's translation of Weismann's book.

November 6th: 1500 copies of "Power of Movement" sold at Murray's sale.

Contributions to "Nature."

1881.

During all the early part of the year at work on the "Worm book."

Several contributions to "Nature."

October 10th: The book on "Earthworms" published: 2000 copies sold at

once.

November: At work on the action of carbonate of ammonia on plants.

1882.

No entries in the Diary.

February: At work correcting the sixth thousand of the "Earthworms."

March 6th and March 16th: Papers on the action of Carbonate of Ammonia

on roots, etc., read at the Linnean Society.

April 6th: Note to "Nature" on Dispersal of Bivalves.

April 18th: Van Dyck's paper on Syrian Dogs, with a preliminary notice

by Charles Darwin, read before the Zoological Society.

April 19th: Charles Darwin died at Down.

...

CHARLES DARWIN