Summary

Thanks WE for an oriental treatise on pigeons, a paper on poultry, and specimens.

Asks about stripes on shoulders and legs of horses and donkeys.

Summary

Asa Gray will try to get HWB’s paper reviewed.

Also mentions that he (CD) wrote a short review of it for Natural History Review [Collected papers 2: 87–92].

Asks whether bees or Lepidoptera visit flowers of Melastomataceae.

Summary

Would like tabulation of horned beetles if not too troublesome, but would easily settle for general remarks.

On the subject of other species mocking Heliconidae, asks whether full-coloured ones were mocked. Expresses full belief in HWB’s theory.

Encloses a copy of A. R. Wallace’s letter to the Field requesting observations on which caterpillars birds devour.

Summary

Requests WE’s measurements of tigers.

Asks about a work on domestic pigeons in an Eastern language. Will consult [Ayeen Akbery or, the institutes of the Emperor Akber, trans. from Persian by Francis Gladwin, 2 vols. (1777, 1800)].

Asks for specimen skins of domestic pigeons and poultry. [See Variation 1: 205.]

Summary

CD asks whether New Zealand tribes have an idea of beauty in women which is "like ours"; WBDM answers, "Yes".

Summary

Discusses specific varieties, especially geographic varieties.

Comments on the effects of the glacial age on the tropics.

Sexual selection.

Summary

Sending the membership certificate for Robert Swinhoe.

Summary

Requests return of August Weismann’s letter which refers to eggs.

Curious about the drawing [of the caterpillar? See 10780].

Summary

Regrets CD is unable to attend proposed conference [see 12918]. Would like his opinion on why it is not desirable.

Summary

[Apparently in reply to question in missing portion of 3825.] A written agreement is unnecessary, but a letter stating terms would prevent misundertanding. He will attempt to have a review of HWB’s paper published.

Summary

Believes he can give CD information on Mammalia of St Thomas [São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea]. Quotes from a Portuguese history of the islands on unique species of monkeys and civet cats found there.

Summary

Encloses extract [missing] on a caterpillar.

Mentions William Buckler’s magnificent drawings of caterpillars [The larvae of the British butterflies and moths, Ray Soc. (1886–91)], but doubts Buckler will lend them for any Darwinian purpose. John Hellins has a portion of drawings and is more liberal.

Summary

Asks HWB to sign and return F.R.S. certificate for Raphael Meldola; if he objects to signing, CD will not mention the fact. [Meldola elected F.R.S., June 1886.]

Summary

Asks HWB to sign the memorial, possibly with official title, and then to pass it quickly to Hooker.

Summary

Gladstone has recommended yearly pension of £200 for Wallace.

Summary

Asks for a letter on the tameness of deer, written by Commander A. Boutakoff to R. I. Murchison and printed in the Journal [J. R. Geogr. Soc. 23 (1853): 93–101].

Summary

Encloses note from Murray, hoping it will be satisfactory. Murray is ready to see as much of MS as possible. Murray is considered honest but may be cautious, since HWB’s name is unknown to the public.

Summary

Orders five works on the Sandwich Islands from the Royal Geographical Society Library for his investigation of infanticide and population trends there.

Summary

Wallace noticed that melastomads in Malay archipelago were visited by small Hymenoptera.

Darwinism discussed at the last meeting of the Zoological Society. The Darwinians had the best of it.

HWB has committed the "folly" of marriage [to Sarah Ann Mason, 15 Jan 1863].

Printing of vol. 1 [of Naturalist on the river Amazons] is nearly finished.

Summary

Asks about proportions of male to female insects.