To J. J. Weir 18 June [1868]
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
June 18th
My dear Sir
Many thanks. I am glad that you mentioned the Linnet, for I had much difficulty in persuading myself that the crimson breast could be due to change in the old feathers, as the books say.—
I am glad to hear of the retribution of the wicked old she Bull-finch.—1
You remember telling me how many Weirs & Jenners have been naturalists;2 now this morning I have been putting together all my references about one bird of a pair being killed & a new mate being soon found; you Jenner Weir have given me some most striking cases with Starlings;3 Dr Jenner gives the most curious case of all in Phil. Transact.4 & a Mr Weir gives the next most striking in Magillivray.—5 Now is this not odd?
Pray remember how very glad we shall be to see you here whenever you can come.—
Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Did some ancient progenitor of the Weirs & Jenners puzzle his brains about the mating of Birds, & has the question become indelibly fixed in all your minds?!
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Macgillivray, William. 1837–52. History of British birds, indigenous and migratory. 5 vols. London: Scott, Webster, and Geary; William S. Orr and Co.
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.
Summary
CD thanks JJW for letter about the crimson breast of linnets
and the fate of a pugnacious female bullfinch.
Refers to JJW’s pointing out the number of Jenners and Weirs who have been naturalists, and cites some writings by men of those families about striking cases of birds.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6250
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Jenner Weir
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- JU 19 68
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6250,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6250.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16