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Having published On the Origin of Species in 1859 (John Murray publisher) Charles Darwin waited until 1871 before having his two-volume The Descent of Man an Selection in Relation to Sex published. Although he had been considering the content of this his second great volume since his experiences on the Beagle expedition nevertheless he had […]

‘Darwin’s Finches’ are a well-known example of wildlife discoveries that Charles Darwin made during (and after) his five-year voyage in the 1830s on board HMS Beagle, the main purpose of which was to map the coast of South America. Initially Darwin did not realise the significance of his studies in terms of evolution. He was no

Returning to a point from blog 4th Jan. the varying ability of creatures to see in the dark (to varying degrees), whatever physical forms it takes, is a result of evolutionary change. Charles Darwin (above), 1809-1882, said to be the ‘Father of Evolution’ didn’t actually use the term ‘evolution’ until the 6th edition of his

For years now, and again this year, I wonder at the fact that despite passing the year’s shortest day (21st December) the mornings seem to get darker for longer before dawn. Of course, as in the evenings, change is imperceptibly slow, but to get later until mid January?? Post Brexit agricultural policy, as promised by

Like some of us doubtless the local barn owls are struggling to cope with winter conditions, particularly so last month (December) when the weather was very cold and raw. However I don’t have problem of shortage of food – the Xmas-time pressure to excess, with the consequent excessive waste generated, being a stain on western society.

Normanby Hall, four miles north of Scunthorpe, was built in the 1820s, again on the site of an earlier mansion. It was built by, as was its predecessor, the family of the Earls of Sheffield. One hundred years previously an ancestor had built Buckingham Palace in London. Post-war Normanby Hall was gifted to the local authority