From Richard Bowdler Sharpe 5 August 1868
Zoological Society of London, | 11, Hanover Square, | London, W.
Augt. 5 1868
Dear Mr. Darwin,
I have been a long time answering your questions, which were very difficult to answer, as we know so little of the economy of Tanysiptera and Dacelo.1
I have ransacked all my material, but cannot answer your query if the tail of young birds resembles the females in the first plumage. The species you refer to are Dacelo Leachii, cervina (ex Austr.) D. Gaudichaudi (ex Novã Guineã)
I have written to Australia to find out about them and will certainly let you know. I am very sorry I cannot tell you now2
The long-tailed Kingfisher is a Tanysiptera. We are only acquainted with the habits of T. sylvia ex Sept. Austr. (which I shewed you). The tail-feathers of the female get rumpled in nesting, as also the young.3 I have a young bird of T. doris, Wallace from Morotai in which the plumes are very much so.4
The other day I saw a portrait of you in a Photographers I went a day or two after but it was gone, and I cannot get one.5 If you should ever have a carte de visite to spare, would you mind giving me one with your autograph. I have many of my friends portraits and I should very much value yours. Please excuse the liberty I have taken in asking for it. You will be glad to hear my work is flourishing.
Hoping soon to give you better information on the Kingfisher | I have the honour to be | dear Mr. Darwin | Respectfully yours | R B Sharpe
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Summary
Is writing to Australia to answer CD’s questions about resemblance of tail-feathers of young and mature female kingfishers. [See Descent 2: 188.]
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6306
- From
- Richard Bowdler Sharpe
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Zoological Society
- Source of text
- DAR 84.1: 98–9
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6306,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6306.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16