From [J. B. Innes]1 [after 8 February – August 1855]2
Hore. W S. | St Clements Rectory | Oxford—3
No communication from Ainslie about water—4
Probably I may have mentioned the pointer and setter.
Either Mr. Tournay of Saltwood5 or Capt Johnson of Newington6 had a pointer bitch who appeared perfectly purely bred. being put to a thorough bred pointer dog she produced a litter of puppies which all appeared pure pointers but one which was a black and white brindled setter, with feathered legs and stern, appearing a thorough bred setter— I mention this one instance because I remember the setter well but I was told that in several litters this result occurred and that the setter was always distinctly indicated when pupped. I do not know where Capt Johnson is if alive— Mr. Tournay I believe still lives at Saltwood— Lynedock Douglas Esq Hythe7 and Capt Douglas of the Down’s Rifles8 would remember the circumstance and so probably would Genl. and Col. King at Hythe9 and others.
Nothing is more common than for crossed dogs to take after one parent. The breeds commonly crossed are terriers with bull and pointers with fox hounds. there are often some of the first offspring which have but little sign of cross in their formation but continuing to breed with pointers and terriers the marks of the former cross frequently reappear in individuals
CD annotations
Footnotes
Summary
Provides another case of apparently pure bred pointers producing litter with one setter puppy. Correspondent was told that this occurred in several litters; gives names of owners and others who can corroborate the information.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13870
- From
- John Brodie Innes
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 163: 5
- Physical description
- inc †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13870,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13870.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13 (Supplement)