Summary

On proportion of sexes in birds.

Summary

Has heard from W. Engelmann of Leipzig; he is willing to let CD have the woodcuts to Fritz Müller’s work [Für Darwin (1864)] for 22 thalers.

Summary

Any notes on idea of human beauty by natives who have little association with Europeans would interest CD.

Also influence of females on males’ choice.

Sends copy of Queries about expression.

Summary

Sends GGS examples of feathers from an albino peacock and repeats his query about the zones of colour [see 5950].

Summary

Regrets and apologises for a misunderstanding regarding Horace’s leaving Clapham School. Is sure he wrote an earlier letter which AW evidently did not receive.

Summary

Courtship of goldfinches. Male display. [See Descent 2: 95.]

Summary

Had hoped that the intention of removing Horace from school had been abandoned and regrets that it has not.

Summary

Results of his examination of divergence in sexual coloration of tropical American butterflies. [See Descent 1: 389 on Junonia and Papilio.]

Summary

Assures AW he has not hurt Horace’s feelings. CD has always been doubtful about a private tutor for Horace. Fears a letter [giving notice of removal] was lost in the post.

Summary

Thanks for facts about birds displaying plumage during courtship; "for Butterflies I must trust to analogy altogether in regard to sexual selection".

Invites JJW to visit in summer.

Summary

On the proportions of the sexes in silk moths, fish, and eels.

Summary

On proportion of sexes [of moths?] raised from larvae: AW does not select largest exclusively.

Account of lambing in 1864 after unusual drought.

Summary

Coloration of butterflies; brilliantly coloured females.

Commends CD on his paper on specific differences in Primula [J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 10 (1869): 437–54; reprinted and revised in Forms of flowers] as a test-case proving origin of real species.

Summary

Thanks for Variation.

Summary

CD arranging for a translation of FM’s Für Darwin by W. S. Dallas.

Summary

Asks whether RT will call.

Summary

Sexual selection of pigeons, ducks;

polygamous birds.

Summary

For experiment on effect of male beauty, pigeons should be coloured on the breast.

Summary

On his Primula paper for the Linnean Society ["On the specific difference between Primula veris, Brit. Fl. (var. officialis, Linn.), P. vulgaris, Brit. Fl. var. acaulis, Linn.), and P. elatior, Jacq.; and on the hybrid nature of the common oxlip; with supplementary remarks on naturally produced hybrids of the genus Verbascum", [officinalis!?] J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 10 (1869): 437–54].

Peacocks and sexual selection.

ARW’s sterility argument has driven CD’s sons half-mad.

Summary

Some questions on errata in second English issue of Variation.

Sends a paper by Robert Hartmann on domestic animals of the countries bordering the Nile ["Geographische Verbreitung der im nordöstlichen Afrika wild lebenden Säugethiere" Z. Ges. Erdkd. Berlin 3 (1868): 28–69, 232–70, 345–68, 404–20].

Has thought much about CD’s theory of Pangenesis. It "seems rather a little too complicated … as a molecular theory".