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Darwin Correspondence Project

To W. B. Tegetmeier   5 June [1858]1

Down Bromley Kent

June 5th

My dear Sir

I am sorry to say that I have been so much engaged with other objects, that I have not begun with my Pigeon M.S. but hope to begin in weeks time.—2

I have lately been hard at work with Bees cells, a friend having lent me a glass Hive, which could open, so that I cd. take out combs.3 I have got commencement of cells; but I write now chiefly to remind you, shd you find the cylindrical Bees cell, how extremely much I wish to examine them.—4

This note requires no answer, without indeed you shd. have found the specimen.— You shall hear from me, whenever I have done with my Pigeons.— But I have lately lost several good Birds, my best Barb, & blue owl & good white Trumpeter—

Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

Footnotes

Dated by the reference to CD’s manuscript on pigeons and by the relationship to the letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 9 May [1858].
CD had promised to give Tegetmeier his pigeons when he had finished writing up the results of his study (see letters to W. B. Tegetmeier, [21 April 1858] and 9 May [1858]). He began the manuscript later in the month (see letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 22 June [1858]).
CD refers to the ‘observatory hive’ lent to him by Louis Knight Bruce (see letter to W. E. Darwin, [26 May 1858]).
See letters to W. B. Tegetmeier, [21 April 1858] and 9 May [1858].

Summary

Hopes to begin pigeon MS in a week.

Has lately been working on bees’ cells and wishes very much to examine a cylindrical one.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2280
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
William Bernhard Tegetmeier
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2280,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2280.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7

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