From Bernard Peirce Brent 29 May 1861
Summary
Sexual behaviour of fowls.
| Author: | Bernard Peirce Brent |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 29 May 1861 |
| Classmark: | DAR 84.1: 1–9 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3167 |
Matches: 33 hits
- … underl blue crayon 5.3 an old hen … or cock, 5.5] scored blue crayon 5.8 she submits … …
- … their desire 18.5] scored blue crayon 18.6 an old hen … old cock, 18.7] scored blue crayon …
- … force; the simple gallantries offered by the cock to his hens, consists in bending himself …
- … fowls and hen Pigeons, when kept without cocks have acknowledged my imitations of their …
- … both consent and understand each other, the cock elevates his head raises his hackle in a …
- … and drops the feathers below her vent. the cock steps on holding her by the hackle. When …
- … the eye and the actions— for instance the cock looks up catches the eye of a hen at a …
- … they will accept the gallantries of any cock who offers them, if they are laying, but …
- … a very young chicken, or even a strange cock if her desire has been lately satisfied. …
- … there are some termagant hens, that will fight any stranger hen or cock, and …
- … if the cock is not man enough to knock the spirit of opposition out of her she will not …
- … hiding— where many fowls are kept and more cocks than one the head man takes the beat most …
- … the others ground, will be accosted by the cock on to whose ground or into whose presence …
- … runs away to the protection of the head cock where she knows the other dares not come. …
- … I have had hens that were kept without a cock frequently stoop to me; laying hens if tame …
- … position if gently handled, when kept from a cock that is provided they are so tame that …
- … known where several hens were kept without a cock one hen, a laying one, took to treading …
- … I donot think a hen would care how ugly a cock was if he could only knock her spirit of …
- … the train is a sexual ask, In turkeys the cock or gobbeler struts with expanded tail and …
- … has some effect every gobble of the cock she answers by puck and at last lays herself …
- … and presses her beak to her chest, the cock mounts tramples her and she squeaks it is a …
- … shy that very few have ever seen them. the cock challenges everything walking on tiptoe, …
- … raised that is their common call. the cock makes a kind of saw setting noise, and a …
- … feels the desire stoops and calls, the cock flies to her and treads her, though perhaps at …
- … some I had when I could not afford to buy cocks, would come down from the top of the house …
- … not resist the natural feeling. thus the cock Pigeon coos he bows his head sweeps the …
- … a wanton will often take the tread of a cock at such times with out pairing. When paired …
- … your enquiries as you put them, where two cocks are in one yard the victor would not get …
- … hens, will only submit to a strange cock if he can thrash them, but the generality, are …
- … think the hen cares for the beauty, of the cock she may for his attentions, beauty may …
- … bird and seek the protection of the old cock, just to escape the annoyances of the …
- … young stags the hens will run to the old cock for peace and quietness A game hen will …
- … in want. I have no experience of Henney cocks but have never heard that their wives ever …
From W. D. Fox 29 October [1868]
Summary
Thanks CD for a recent letter.
Reports on his health, which has been bad for 12 months.
Sends extracts of works on domestication.
Discusses the pairing of various birds; comments on the pugnacity of partridges, pheasants, male guinea-fowl, and peacocks.
Gives proportions of sexes in pheasants.
| Author: | William Darwin Fox |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 29 Oct [1868] |
| Classmark: | DAR 164: 189; DAR 193: 112; DAR 83: 187, DAR 84.1: 128–30, DAR 86: A87–9 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-6436 |
Matches: 34 hits
- … 48.2] scored blue crayon 49.2 The Pearl Cock … opportunities. 49.3] double scored blue …
- … each other’ added blue crayon 35.1 Both cocks … died. 35.2] crossed blue crayon 37.2 At …
- … frequently observed that when he has shot the Cock Birds (he says the hens are generally …
- … as occurring this Summer . “I shot the cock Bird of a Carrion Crows nest in M r Wilbrahams …
- … a fortnight afterwards when I shot another Cock Bird at nest—& afterwards I caught the hen …
- … a trap. ” He said he had many times shot cock Birds of Magpies & Carrion Crows & found …
- … place. That it is much easier to kill the Cocks, as they feed the Hens on nest & are less …
- … years since) that he with another man—shot 19 Cock Magpies from the nest one morning. His …
- … to the sex— Probably 9 out of 10 are the cock Birds. Partridges. He never saw an odd Bird. …
- … so. He says he has often known 2 hens to 1 Cock bird, & that they have generally had large …
- … the other hand he has known several times 2 cocks to 1 hen, when they rarely or never have …
- … young ones. This year he has observed 5 old Cock Birds, which have always kept together …
- … kill each other (I picked up a splendid Cock in Bolton Abbey Wood some years since in …
- … said he had watched above an hour. Both cocks were so exhausted that England picked them …
- … ble & Rev Foresters acct. He says he never observed a fresh cock come if he killed one—but …
- … that he has often found the Cock Bird will bring up the young, if he killed the hen bird. …
- … or Sparrow hawk who had young—& caught the Cock Bird a fortnight afterwards on nest. This …
- … them—& I have several times met with fine cock Birds of the smaller kinds of finches &c— …
- … Chester, who breeds Canaries—putting a paired cock to several other hens. He impregnates …
- … To the great amusement of my children, she cocks her tail exactly like a hen. I shewed her …
- … much— Even at this time of year the young Cocks are constantly doing so—and the Hens also …
- … neck & head. In spring—you cannot keep 2 Cocks in a flock— I feel sure the stronger w d …
- … kill the weaker bird. The Cocks go some distance from Farm yard to Farm yard to attack …
- … told you that Guinea Fowl do better—1 cock to 2 or 3 Hens than when paired. That they are …
- … white—the rest pied more or less. The Pearl Cock was the master of yard & evidently made …
- … of providential arrangement to kill the extra cocks—but in a state of nature those kindly …
- … of 20 Pheasants &c hatched—there w d be 10 cocks—& only 2 being required for the 10 hens— …
- … they do not seem to herd together—as pairing Birds do. I cannot fancy a Community of Cock …
- … Turkeys—Cock pheasants & c in spring. Animals do often herd together in separate sexes, as …
- … sometimes there is an excess of Turkey Cocks one year—& of hens the next—but on the …
- … w d be compassionately cared for by some cock bird in her neighbourhood, who w d keep her …
- … meet with a lady love. It has often puzzled me what becomes of all the cock pheasants B …
- … k Game —Turkey Cocks &c that are extra—as I suppose …
- … we may take 5 Hens to one cock as an average, in Breeding season. Some no doubt kill each …
From W. B. Tegetmeier 13 May 1872
Summary
Has found the skull of the horned cock.
With regard to CD’s suggestion about the possibility of producing a pigeon breed with differently coloured sexes, WBT reports the results of crossing blue and silver dragons; the silver offspring are almost always hens.
Would like the latest edition of the Origin.
Encloses notes on volume one [of Descent].
Encloses a photograph showing the bleaching effect of the sun’s rays on dun feathers in pigeons.
| Author: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 13 May 1872 |
| Classmark: | DAR 88: 175–6, DAR 90: 101, DAR 178: 83, DAR 193: 22 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-8322 |
Matches: 16 hits
- … Has found the skull of the horned cock. With regard to CD’s suggestion about the …
- … I asked you for the skull of the “Horned Cock” figured by you— I find that you returned it …
- … page 39 Terror causes feathers on head of cowardly game cock or hen to be raised, …
- … a mark of cowardice recognised by cock fighters. 1.1 I … by you— 2.1] cross in margin …
- … crossed pencil 4.4 instances] ‘instances’ added above pencil 4.5 Cocks] ‘Silver’ added …
- … pencil 4.5 Cocks … sex. — …
- … 5.4] ‘When [‘Blu’ del ] a Silver-cock was procured others Blue? ’ added pencil 7.1 I … …
- … are almost always hens, and a silver hen and blue cock mated together will breed in the …
- … greatest number of instances a blue cock and silver hen in the same …
- … nest. Cocks are hard to procure, during the last two years I failed in …
- … procuring one and consequently bred 10 silver dragon hens but not one cock from, …
- … blue cocks and silver hens matched together This year …
- … I have been fortunate in getting two silver cocks to breed from. they are both matched to …
- … has had two nests. The first nest a blue cock and silver hen— the second a single blue …
- … difficulty in raising a breed in which all the cocks should be blue and the hens silver. — …
- … is quite right respecting the dark markings of cocks of the mealy or “pâle panaché” of the …
From W. B. Tegetmeier [28 May 1861]
Summary
[Queries in CD’s hand answered on same pages by WBT.] Sexual selection of fowls; role of beauty in cocks.
| Author: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | [28 May 1861] |
| Classmark: | DAR 84.1: 144 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3166 |
Matches: 8 hits
- … hand answered on same pages by WBT. ] Sexual selection of fowls; role of beauty in cocks. …
- … a hen when with egg will yield to any cock I do not think she refuses (as with pigeons) …
- … the scapular region as with the feet of a cock I had a tame cochin hen who used to squat …
- … dress often produced the movement. My hen cock was victor always and some of the hens …
- … same yard. — I have never heard that game cocks after being trimmed for fighting were not …
- … favorites with the hens In fact strong cocks make the hens yield by stamping alternately …
- … hens impregnated by the hen tailed game cock lay very fertile eggs. — I have just looked …
- … been very effectually performed. 2.1 You … cock 2.2] scored brown crayon 3.2 much to … …
From Harrison William Weir 23 March 1869
Summary
Proportion of sexes in pigeons, pigs, and pheasants.
Sexual preferences of females.
| Author: | Harrison William Weir |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 Mar 1869 |
| Classmark: | DAR 86: C10, DAR 84.1: 118 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-6680 |
Matches: 9 hits
- … one of neither sex a little of each . As regards Pigeons There are more cocks then hens, I …
- … have often bred two cocks in a nest, but seldom two hens. The hen in the nest is generally …
- … hen in nest is sometimes yellow while the cock bird is red. With regards to the likes and …
- … will often take a fancy to one particular cock and often leave their own mates this I …
- … breeding the above, he generally gets 4 to 5 Cocks to 1 hen. When out shooting (where we …
- … I have noticed the great preponderance of cocks, when the bag has been laid out. Pigeons M …
- … I am informed that the best singing bird (cock) generally gets a mate first when they are …
- … and Spanish) that some years his Spanish run mostly to cocks and the Bramahs the opposite. …
- … Then the next year the Bramah are mostly cocks possibly, but he seems to have the idea …
To W. D. Fox 4 June [1856]
Summary
Thanks WDF for specimen of Dorking cock.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Darwin Fox |
| Date: | 4 June [1856] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.130) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1887 |
From W. B. Tegetmeier 29 March 1867
Summary
Answers CD’s queries about polygamous birds. Does not think appearance of cock makes any difference to female. Dyeing the male has no effect on female.
| Author: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 29 Mar 1867 |
| Classmark: | DAR 84.1: 30–1 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5473 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … polygamous birds. Does not think appearance of cock makes any difference to female. Dyeing …
- … has any foundation whatever— A Game cock closely trimmed for fighting is as unlike an …
- … would be ill received— If two or more cocks are turned down the hens will receive anyone …
- … but little to do with the reception of the cock in fowls— I have just turned down a polish …
- … removed the same day from white cochin cocks the advances of the polish male (though …
- … any of my runs as they only contain a single cock each—but I will do what I can elsewhere— …
From Edward Hewitt 28 March 1868
Summary
On various subjects related to sexual selection: preferences, proportion of sexes. [See Descent 2: 117–18, 122.]
| Author: | Edward Hewitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 28 Mar 1868 |
| Classmark: | DAR 84.1: 83–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-6065 |
Matches: 8 hits
- … old hen, carefully abstain f m . letting the cock run with younger females. As to giving …
- … distinguishable, some hens though laying, cocks will not associate with, though you test …
- … as it were, without attractiveness, to all cocks, however persistant an owner may be, to …
- … endeavour to procure a union. I have known a hen kept with several cocks a whole season, …
- … yet not a single cock acknowledged her presence, though all feasible allurements were …
- … to attempt true breeding, if a Game cock in good health & condition runs the locality, for …
- … the roosting place will resort to the Game cock, even though that bird may not actually …
- … result, as a trial with any true Game cock will prove at once, irrespective of feather, …
To W. B. Tegetmeier 3 November [1856]
Summary
Has received nine skins from Walter Elliot of Madras; WBT may describe them if he wishes.
Expects some Persian fowls.
Can WBT inquire about the fertility of certain duck hybrids?
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Date: | 3 Nov [1856] |
| Classmark: | Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1981 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … mentioned, that the two other African cocks, have a treble comb; the two external parallel …
- … I sh d . be very glad to buy an old Malay Cock for skeleton. — Since writing to you I have …
- … Elliot of Madras, skins of following poultry, diag 2. Game Cock & Hen (of great size) 2. …
- … Black-boned, hairy Cock & Hen 2. …
- … Caffir Cock & Hen with curled feathers. …
- … 1 Cock of doubtful origin ticketed …
- … Rangoon 2 Common or Pariah Cock & Hen, such as are commonly kept by the country …
Bishop, Henry Rowley. [1864]. The pilgrim of love: recitative and romance. London: Robert Cocks & Co.
Matches: 1 hit
- … of love: recitative and romance. London: Robert Cocks & Co. Anderson Room A1871.2052 17 …
To W. B. Tegetmeier 14 April [1861]
Summary
Inquires about rabbits.
Sends list of queries on poultry.
WBT’s fowls’ skulls have arrived.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Date: | 14 Apr [1861] |
| Classmark: | Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3118 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … your Hen-tailed Game, as readily as to other cocks. He would be victor, & so have enormous …
- … with his amatory success, supposing any other & gorgeous cock were present . — I formerly …
- … clipping and mutilating the feathers of a cock & observing, but I could not spare time to …
- … has kept many Hen-tailed Games & other Game-cocks, such a man might have observed on this …
- … read) the Field to day & see your curious Cock, which I have quoted in my M.S. I have now …
- … the skull of Poland? (19) Though the cock which conquers, naturally gets first choice of …
From F. B. Zincke 23 [May 1876]
Summary
On communication noises used by domestic poultry.
| Author: | Foster Barham Zincke |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 [May 1876] |
| Classmark: | DAR 184: 10 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10513 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … I used years ago to keep small birds. Some weeks ago I placed in this a cock & two hens. …
- … I soon found that the cock wished the hens to take possession of the box I had placed on …
- … these that I shut up in the old aviary the cock, of whose language I have been giving you …
- … F. Barham Zincke. P.S. And when the cock goes into the
〈 bo〉 x, & turns about in it, &〈 … - … Cochin China, Bramah putra, & creve-cœur hens, with only Creve Cœur cocks. Among all these …
- … there was not a white feather, & all the cocks were raven black. From the first about 10 …
To T. C. Eyton 3 May [1861]
Summary
Has received the shipment of skeletons of fowls. Asks TCE species name of Gungla cock. Mentions other specimens.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | Thomas Campbell Eyton |
| Date: | 3 May [1861] |
| Classmark: | American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.247) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3134 |
From Bernard Peirce Brent 23 October 1857
Summary
Discusses the difficulties of breeding mules by crossing canaries and finches.
| Author: | Bernard Peirce Brent |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 23 Oct 1857 |
| Classmark: | DAR 160: 299 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2158 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … the only difficulty I have found is to get the cock bird either Goldfinch; Grey Linnet; or …
- … hens reared a young one from eggs given I have had both Goldfinch mule cocks and Green …
- … linnet mule cocks paired with, and tread hen canaries, but no produce, from what I hear …
- … productive, but it is stated that the mule cock must be paired with its own mother, though …
- … I had a hen Goldfinch mule paired with a cock Goldfinch they built and the hen mule laid, …
- … I put up two hen Goldfinch mules, with a cock canary, and they both, built and laid eggs, …
To William Yarrell [5 or 12 September 1842]
Summary
CD is too dull and languid to see Mr Bicheno but will be glad to answer his questions if he writes.
Asks WY to ask J. Sebright "whether the cross with white bantam brought back any of the ""secondary male characters"" to the hen–cock breed".
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Yarrell |
| Date: | [5 or 12] Sept 1842 |
| Classmark: | Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand (Letters to Dr William Kitchen Parker and his sons, MS-Papers-1256-2) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-613 |
To John Edward Gray [January 1851]
Summary
Is coming tomorrow to see Lorenz Spengler on cirripedes [Auserlesne Schnecken, Muscheln und andre Schaalthiere (1758)] and the remaining sessile cirripedes in the collection. Has finished Balanus.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | John Edward Gray |
| Date: | [Jan 1851] |
| Classmark: | Natural History Museum, Library and Archives (Zoology letters 2: 57) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1383 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … Balanus. And Lastly could I see M r . Cocks’ collection? — Forgive this trouble | yours …
- … vol. 4, Appendix I). William Pennington Cocks , Cornish surgeon and collector. …
- … Cocks donated a small collection to the British Museum in 1849, which included specimens …
- … which is perhaps why CD wished to examine Cocks’s collection (see Living Cirripedia ( …
To W. B. Tegetmeier 5 August [1859]
Summary
Has an astonishing lot of mongrel poultry and expects next generation to approach Gallus bankiva in red-brown plumage.
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Date: | 5 Aug [1859] |
| Classmark: | Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2479 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … bankiva . The reversion appeared in the cocks, but the hens from the crosses showed ‘ …
- … of Origin . CD had borrowed a young Spanish cock from Tegetmeier for use in his breeding …
- … My dear Sir When shall I return the Spanish Cock for which I am so much indebted to your …
- … but a very few mottled. One of the young cocks, however, has lately acquired a few reddish …
To W. B. Tegetmeier 16 November [1858]
Summary
Wants WBT’s advice on poultry breeding experiments. Are certain birds true to their kind, and what should he pay for them?
| Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Addressee: | William Bernhard Tegetmeier |
| Date: | 16 Nov [1858] |
| Classmark: | Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection) |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2362 |
Matches: 5 hits
- … following little experiment, viz to get a cock & some Hens of several breeds, which never …
- … d keep the succeeding year 2 or 3 or 4 mongrel cocks & mongrels Hens from all, & destroy …
- … all the old pure Birds, Cocks & Hens. — Perhaps …
- … it would be better to keep my Polish Cock & destroy my present Polish Hen & get one …
- … except two hens. — diag One old Spanish Cock Silver Poland Black Rumpless Silver pencilled …
From Edward Hewitt 22 December 1857
Summary
Replies to more queries about fowl hybrids.
| Author: | Edward Hewitt |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 22 Dec 1857 |
| Classmark: | DAR 166: 197 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2193 |
Matches: 6 hits
- … I bred several at different times from a Golden Cock Pheasant and Common Hen Pheasant , …
- … but not from Golden or Silver cock Pheasants, and a fowl. …
- … It was only the English cock Ph t . with the fowl that produced. …
- … very plain coloured birds, from a Golden cock Ph t . and Silver Hen Ph t . , but never …
- … instance mentioned in my former note, of a cock fowl breeding with a hen pheasant , in all …
- … in perfect hate. In the pair now spoken of—cock silverlaced Sebright with hen common Ph …
From William A. Wooler 4 February 1861
Summary
Discusses the colouring of the young of various breeds of rabbit.
Observations on results of various poultry crosses and on a character which is linked to sex.
| Author: | William Alexander Wooler |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 4 Feb 1861 |
| Classmark: | DAR 181: 156 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3058 |
Matches: 7 hits
- … comes either from the Frizzled hen & the cock (which is the cross between the Frizzled & …
- … Frizzled Hen or a Frizzled silk Hen— The Cock I know was a Frizzled silk— we generally …
- … Hens were confined with the Frizzled silk cock & I should say at least 30 chickens hatched …
- … sterile— Yet in experiment no 2 with Hybrid Hen (produce of Pheasant cock & Black red Game …
- … Hen) with Domestic cock of the same blood as the Black red Game Hen the mother produced a …
- … the issue from a Hybrid Hen & Pheasant cock as in no 4—&c &c and from one of these “Inter …
- … of non productive eggs”) with Pheasant cock the issue was “one chick but did not survive …
Document type
| letter | (232) |
| bibliography | (2) |
| people | (1) |
Author
| Darwin, C. R. | (113) |
| Tegetmeier, W. B. | (16) |
| Blyth, Edward | (12) |
| Fox, W. D. | (6) |
| Brent, B. P. | (5) |
Addressee
| Darwin, C. R. | (116) |
| Tegetmeier, W. B. | (40) |
| Fox, W. D. | (14) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (9) |
| Thwaites, G. H. K. | (4) |
Correspondent
| Darwin, C. R. | (229) |
| Tegetmeier, W. B. | (56) |
| Fox, W. D. | (20) |
| Hooker, J. D. | (13) |
| Blyth, Edward | (12) |
Date
| 1822 | (1) |
| 1828 | (1) |
| 1829 | (1) |
| 1831 | (1) |
| 1832 | (1) |
| 1833 | (1) |
| 1838 | (1) |
| 1839 | (1) |
| 1842 | (1) |
| 1848 | (3) |
| 1851 | (1) |
| 1855 | (12) |
| 1856 | (25) |
| 1857 | (10) |
| 1858 | (5) |
| 1859 | (9) |
| 1860 | (4) |
| 1861 | (24) |
| 1862 | (4) |
| 1863 | (6) |
| 1864 | (5) |
| 1865 | (3) |
| 1866 | (6) |
| 1867 | (12) |
| 1868 | (42) |
| 1869 | (12) |
| 1870 | (3) |
| 1871 | (12) |
| 1872 | (7) |
| 1873 | (3) |
| 1874 | (3) |
| 1875 | (4) |
| 1876 | (2) |
| 1877 | (2) |
| 1879 | (2) |
| 1880 | (2) |
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Beauty and the seed
Summary
One of the real pleasures afforded in reading Charles Darwin’s correspondence is the discovery of areas of research on which he never published, but which interested him deeply. We can gain many insights about Darwin’s research methods by following these …
Matches: 1 hits
- … & looking gorgeous. I gave two seeds to a confounded old cock, but his gizzard ground them up; …
