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During the voyage of the Beagle Darwin recorded his observations in a series of field notebooks. (available online here). Towards the end of the voyage he also began to use them to record theoretical speculations, especially on geology and the formation of coral reefs. The Red notebook, opened in late May 1836, became wholly devoted to theoretical writing and Darwin continued to use it after the Beagle returned home to England in October 1836. Darwin continued his note taking in his old Edinburgh notebook and his St Helena Model notebook before a new series of notebooks for theoretical work, termed notebooks on geology, transmutation of species and metaphysical enquiries by the editors of the definitive edition.1
- Geology
- Transmutation of species
- metaphysical enquiries
The famous sketch on the right is from Notebook B and depicts the branching system of descent with modification which Darwin realized could explain the relationship between different species in the same class or family.
One is tempted to believe phrenologists are right about habitual exercise of the mind, altering form of head, & thus these qualities become hereditary.—When a man says I will improve my powers of imagination, & does so,—is not this free will,—he improves the faculty according to usual method, but what urges him,—absolute free will, motive may be anything ambition, avarice, etc., etc. An animal improves because its appetites urge it to certain actions, which are modified by circumstances, & thus the | appetites themselves become changed.—appetites urge the man, but indefinitely, he chooses (but what makes him fix!? frame of mind, though perhaps he chooses wrongly,—& what is frame of mind owing to—) I verily believe free will & chance are synonymous.—Shake ten thousand grains of sand together & one will be uppermost,—so in thoughts, one will rise according to law.22
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