To W. B. Tegetmeier 15 March [1856]1
Down Bromley Kent
March 15th
My dear Sir
I am going to beg a rather unreasonable favour of you.— I called yesterday at Mr. H. Weirs2 & he told me that some Leghorn Runts are to be sold on Tuesday at Stevens.3 Would you be so kind as to purchase a pair for me (or single bird) that is if the Birds have short tail, long legs & long neck, in short appear of a different shape from your Smyrna Runts, which in shape are like what I already possess.—
I would go as far 20s, or 25, or even 30, if they appear very distinct in shape; but Mr Weir thought that perhaps they would go for under 20s.—
I presume that you could purchase a basket & send them with the enclosed address by some trustworthy Porter to Golden Cross, Charing Cross by 3 oclock.4 & I could repay you immediately for these incidental expences & whatever you paid for them.— But I am well aware that I am asking you to take a very scandalous amount of trouble.—
If by any odd chance a pair of black Carriers, very long in the Beak & narrow in the Head, were to be sold for 20s (I do not care much for wattle) I shd. be glad of them. But the Leghorn Runts are important, as I shd. never be able to pick up skeleton.—5
Forgive me if you can & believe me | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
[Moore, John]. 1765. A treatise on domestic pigeons; comprehending all the different species known in England … Carefully compiled from the best of authors. To which is added, a most ample description of that celebrated and beatiful pigeon called the almond tumbler. London.
Post Office London directory: Post-Office annual directory. … A list of the principal merchants, traders of eminence, &c. in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent … general and special information relating to the Post Office. Post Office London directory. London: His Majesty’s Postmaster-General [and others]. 1802–1967.
Tegetmeier, William Bernhard. 1868. Pigeons: their structure, varieties, habits and management. London: G. Routledge.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Asks WBT to try to purchase some specific pigeons.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1842
- 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 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1842,” accessed on 20 March 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1842.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6
