From F. B. Johnston 9 March 1873
London
9. March 1873.
Sir
Having lately read with great interest your “Descent of Man”; I venture to offer you a few observations thereon: They are probably of little or no importance but such as they are, are very much at your service—
Vol I. P. 20. with regard to persons moving their ears I know a yng. man who can, with no particular distortion of the rest of his face, rapidly move his nose from side to side1
P. 272. Line 3. The Rosy billed Duck (metopiana Peposaca)2 of South America is a strong instance of this: The sexes differ considerably in plumage at maturity but the young male even when quite full grown retains the plumage of the female
In this Species the males I believe considerably exceed the females in number
Vol. 2. P. 58. In the male of the same species the windpipe is very much distended at one point & is there quite rigid & inflexible
In the female there is no distention but a section of the windpipe is rigid. Both sexes utter the same hoarse croak of alarm; but the male does this constantly & the female rarely. I cant say that one croaks louder than the other3
Vol. I. P. 345. I saw a live caterpillar in a bottle in Monte Video which had a red light in its forehead and 5. or 6. green lights down each side— It came from the department of Minas4
Vol. 2. P. 105 A lady of my acquaintance in Cromer had 2. crested parrakeets (Calopsitta Novæ Hollandiæ). As far as could be ascertained there were no others of that kind (in confinement) within many miles, yet one day there appeared a strange one outside the conservatory within which (in a cage) these others were, which was easily caught & kept for some time with the others5
P. 108. Note 9. I keep tame egrets (at home in South america) I sometimes give them live mice. After seizing a mouse the heron always walks off to his bath to dip it before swallowing it. When hungry they will swallow pieces of raw meat greedily but when nearly gorged will continue dipping the same piece as if to make it more palatable6
P. 109. Line 10. I had 2. adult water rails in my aviary They had been there many months when a very young one was brought to me, which I turned in. One of the old ones regularly adopted it and continued to feed and protect it till it was quite full grown7
P. 203. Line 3. There is a bird in the Banda Oriental exactly like the one figured on P. 202. I never observed any difference of size or plumage among the many I have shot If it will be of any use to you I will try when I go back there, (in July next), shooting a good many and observe this as also whether it has the convolutions of the trachea.8 These birds breed earlier in the year than any others I know of
P. 205. Line 19. This is the same with the S.A. ostriches. The male is larger, has finer plumes, deeper colors &c but yet incubates9
P. 241. Lines 14. 18. “Capitan” is a misprint for “Capataz”10
For the rest, if I can be of any service to you in observing & reporting on any birds or beasts I may come in contact with, I shall be very happy to follow, as far as I can, any directions you may send me (to care of Messrs. Morewood & Co. 158. Leadenhall St)11 & remain your most obedient servant | Fowell Buxton Johnston
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent 2d ed.: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. London: John Murray. 1874.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
EB: The Encyclopædia Britannica. A dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information. 11th edition. 29 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1910–11.
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.
Rugby School register. 4 vols. Rugby: George Over. 1933–57.
Summary
Various observations on sexual selection portion of Descent – ostriches, rosy-billed duck, egrets, rails, etc.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8803
- From
- F. B Johnston
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London
- Source of text
- DAR 88: 183–4
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8803,” accessed on 27 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8803.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 21