From W. B. Tegetmeier 17 [July] 18711
Finchley | N
June 17/71
My dear Sir
I send you by this post a “Field” with an account of the cat show.2
You will see that there was no tortoiseshell Male.—but one (Tortoiseshell and white) male (entire) which was very much like a weak jawed female in appearance and with greyish, not [sound], black in the colour.— There were some hereditary examples of cats with three extra toes. Should you wish any further particulars I could ascertain the names of the owners and enquire—
In regard to sexual selection I may state that I have a blue turbit hen that obstinately refused to mate with two turbits successively though shut up with each of them for weeks.— Immediately on being let out she would accept any blue dragon cock that offered.
Being a very good bird I at last shut her in a room with a silver turbit—(by themselves) for many weeks & she has at last mated with him and produced some very superior young birds—3
Some time since you asked me about the nestling feathers of laced bantams (Sebrights)—4 I enclose the skin of one that has just died.
When you returned my fowl skulls I think you did not include the skull of the “Horned cock” figured in your “Variation” Vol I page.5
Should I not be mistaken, which is very possible, and you do not want the skull I should like to have it
Believe me | Very truly Yours | W B Tegetmeier
C Darwin Esq
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent 2d ed.: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. London: John Murray. 1874.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Sends Field with an account of the cat show; examples of cats with three extra toes.
Sexual preference of a blue turbit.
CD did not return skull of the horned cock figured in Variation [1: 265].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7822
- From
- William Bernhard Tegetmeier
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Finchley
- Source of text
- DAR 88: 173–4
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7822,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7822.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19