# - Darwin, Charles.

commenting on one of Lubbock's papers on natural history and referring to glacial lakes, Leptodora and the dimorphism of butterflies ("...it seems to me well worth inserting..."), 1 page, oblong 8vo, Down [House], 12 November, no year, traces of former mounting on reverse



[together with:] a group of 6 letters, the majority to John Lubbock, by: Joseph Hooker (writing from Kew Gardens and recommending a gardener), Alfred Russel Wallace (2, about his candidature for the post of Assistant General Secretary to the British Association in 1877, and declining an invitation to lecture), T.H. Huxley (2) and Herbert Spencer, 11 pages in all, 8vo, 1877-1884, two letters mounted on card, some staining to one letter



The letter by Darwin is not recorded in the Darwin Correspondence Project (www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Departments/Darwin).



For a letter by Henry Schliemann to John Lubbock, see lot 11.

Gertrude Lubbock, daughter of Sir John Lubbock, first Baron Avebury; thence by descent

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The banker, politician, naturalist and anthropologist Sir John Lubbock, 4^th baronet and first Baron Avebury (1834-1913), was Darwin's neighbour in Downe for twenty years until 1861. Lubbock had received his first lessons in natural history from Darwin, and their correspondence continued until the latter's death in 1882. He wrote numerous scientific papers, chiefly on entomology, anthropology and archaeology; his most important works included Pre-Historic Times as Illustrated by Ancient Remains (1865), in which he coined the terms Palaeolithic and Neolithic, and The Origin of Civilisation and the Primitive Condition of Man (1870). His entomological studies focused on the social behaviour of ants. He was the youngest of the nine members of the X Club, founded by T.H. Huxley to promote scientific discussion and the study of natural selection. He also became a member of the Royal Institution, the Geological Society and the Royal Society. Lubbock continued his scientific work alongside his banking and political duties: he was head of the family bank (Robarts, Lubbock & Co.) for almost 50 years; MP for Maidstone and London University and founder of the Proportional Representation Society in 1884.