1842 
1844 
1845 
1846 
1851 
1854 
1856 
1858 
1859 
Epitome of Charles Darwin's Life XV 
“In June 1842 I first allowed myself the satisfaction of writing a very brief 
abstract of my [species] theory in pencil in 35 pages; and this was enlarged 
during the summer of 1844 into one of 230 pages, which I had fairly copied 
out and still [1876] possess?.” 
Sept. 14. Settled at the village of Down in Kent. 
“T think I was never in a more perfectly quiet country.” 
Publication of The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs ; being Part I. 
of the Geology of the Voyage of the Beagle. 
Publication of Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands visited during 
the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle; being Part II. of the Geology of the Voyage 
of the Beagle. 
“T think much more highly of my book on Volcanic Islands since Mr Judd, by 
far the best judge on the subject in England, has, as I hear, learnt much 
from it.” (Autobiography, 1876.] 
Publication of the Journal of Researches as a separate book. 
Publication of Geological Observations on South America ; being Part III. of 
the Geology of the Voyage of the Beagle. 
Publication of a Monograph of the Fossil Lepadidae and of a Monograph of 
the sub-class Cirripedia. 
“T fear the study of the Cirripedia will ever remain * wholly unapplied,’ and 
yet I feel that such study is better than castle-building.” 
Publication of Monographs of the Balanidae and Verrucidae. 
“T worked steadily on this subject for...cight years, and ultimately published 
two thick volumes, describing all the known living species, and two thin 
quartos on the extinct species....My work was of considerable use to me, 
when I had to discuss in the Origin of Species the principles of a natural 
classification. Nevertheless, I doubt whether the work was worth the 
consumption of so much time.” 
“From September 1854 I devoted my whole time to arranging my huge pile of 
notes, to observing, and to experimenting in relation to the transmutation of 
species.” 
“Karly in 1856 Lyell advised me to write out my views pretty fully, and 
I began at once to do so on a scale three or four times as extensive as that 
which was afterwards followed in my Origin of Species.” 
Joint paper by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace “On the Tendency 
of Species to form Varieties; and on the perpetuation of Varieties and 
Species by Natural Means of Selection,” communicated to the Linnean 
Society by Sir Charles Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker. 
“I was at first very unwilling to consent [to the communication of his MS. to 
the Society] as I thought Mr Wallace might consider my doing so unjustifi- 
able, for I did not then know how generous and noble was his disposition.” 
“July 20 to Aug. 12 at Sandown [Isle of Wight] began abstract of Species 
book.” 
Nov. 24. Publication of The Origin of Species (1250 copies). 
“Oh, good heavens, the relief to my head and body to banish the whole 
subject from my mind !...But, alas, how frequent, how almost universal it is 
in an author to persuade himself of the truth of his own dogmas. My only 
hope is that I certainly see many difficulties of gigantic stature.” 
1 The first draft of The Origin of Species, edited by Mr Francis Darwin, will be 
published this year (1909) by the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. 
