From William Bernhard Tegetmeier 1 February 1864
Muswell Hill | London | N
Feby 1. 1864.
My dear Sir.
I did not reply to the last letter,1 informing me of your illness as I know how much your time is engaged, and how desirable it is for all who work hard not to be troubled with needless correspondence.
I shall be glad, truly glad to hear you are much better
My object in writing now is to request you will, (if you can conveniently do so) let me have the small deal box of fowl skulls.—2 It is suggested that they would interest the members of the Ethnological Society,3 as shewing the extent to which variation in the form of the brain may exist without any corresponding variation in instincts or habits
If you can find the skulls I would gladly call for them as I am often near your house or they could be sent to me at the Gordon Hotel. Covent Garden4
The fertility of mongrels experiments are now in the second year of their progress5 and I shall have shortly some report to make to the Royal society on the subject.—6 As far as I see at present the mongrels promise to be as fertile as the pure breeds My only cross bred pullet (silk and spanish fowl) is now laying having been associated with her own brother.7
Trusting to hear a good account of your health | Believe me | My dear Sir | Very sincerely Yours | W B Tegetmeier
C Darwin Esq
Footnotes
Bibliography
Calendar: A calendar of the correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821–1882. With supplement. 2d edition. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1994.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
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. 1867. The poultry book: comprising the breeding and management of profitable and ornamental poultry, their qualities and characteristics; to which is added ‘The standard of excellence in exhibition birds’, authorized by the Poultry Club. London and New York: George Routledge & Sons.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Would like his fowl skulls back.
Breeding experiments seem to show mongrels are just as fertile as pure breeds.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4761
- From
- William Bernhard Tegetmeier
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Muswell Hill
- Source of text
- DAR 178: 61
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4761,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4761.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12