Darwin Correspondence Project

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given. The matter was so complicated and irregular that I could not get any one to do it satisfactorily, so I had to set about it myself, and have only been able to give it an hour or two at a time—

The result is enclosed—Table I

In adding up the tables, I had compiled from each volume of the Field. My son who is a good arithmetician observed that the proportion of males and females varied in the 1st and 2nd six months of the year.— (About 34trs of the animals are bred in the first half of the year and very few in Oct Novr & Decr) so I had the approximate ratios worked out, for the whole year it is nearly 74 males to 68 females—* but as unfortunately some of the provisional slips (from the separate half yearly volumes) were destroyed before my attention was diverted to the difference I can only send you the half yearly list in its imperfect condition. Table II But the missing matter can be compiled again if you wish it.

You will bear in mind that these tables are compiled from those accounts of ``Greyhound Produce'' sent to the Field and are only a portion of the dogs kept for public coursing.

Few dogs are bred in the winter so they would run to disadvantage in the puppy stakes of the following season.—

There are some extraordinary instances of hereditary influence over colours in greyhounds—if you like to have them collected—certain celebrated dogs are known never to have produced any puppies but those of one colour, which was not influenced by the colour of the female—etc