From R. O. Jones 20 November 1871
Ordnance Survey Office | Chester
20. Nov 71
My dear Mr. Darwin
My father writes to me to say, that there is as much difference between the horns of the castrated sheep, and those of the ewes as between them and the horns of the rams—1
A good deal depends on the age of castration, but even when castrated “very young” the horns are larger than the ewe’s’.
He writes “very young” but you may think this too indefinite— I presume he means about a month. old— If you would like to have a few lambs castrated younger than that, I will see whether there be any difficulty in the way, and if not—we can easily have a few lambs castrated earlier
It is so much pleasure to have a few questions like these asked me, because it reminds me that I go about with my eyes shut— The Americans have a drink called an “eye-opener”. You have administered one to me— I shall in future pay much more attention to what is to be seen around me. It surprised me much the other day to hear a Welsh sheep whistle, but I found that every sheep on the mountain on being startled, gave this whistle as it bolted off— I presume they lose the whistle as they become domesticated? but I intend to startle! a great number of these fat Cheshire sheep, before I am satisfied, that they can’t whistle
Very truly Yrs | R. Owen Jones
CD annotations
Footnotes
Summary
The horns of castrated male lambs compared with horns of ewes. [See Descent, 2d ed., p. 506.]
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8078
- From
- Robert Owen Jones
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Ordnance Survey Office, Chester
- Source of text
- DAR 88: 119–20
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8078,” accessed on 16 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8078.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19