From W. B. Tegetmeier [before 18 April 1869]1
[1 page missing]
given. The matter was so complicated and irregular that I could not get any one to do it satisfactorily, so I had to set about it myself, and have only been able to give it an hour or two at a time—2
The result is enclosed—Table I
In adding up the tables, I had compiled from each volume of the Field. My son3 who is a good arithmetician observed that the proportion of males and females varied in the 1st and 2nd six months of the year.— (About trs of the animals are bred in the first half of the year and very few in Oct Novr & Decr) so I had the approximate ratios worked out, for the whole year it is nearly 74 males to 68 females—* but as unfortunately some of the provisional slips (from the separate half yearly volumes) were destroyed before my attention was diverted to the difference I can only send you the half yearly list in its imperfect condition. Table II But the missing matter can be compiled again if you wish it.
* | Approximative ratios. | ||
Males | Females | ||
Whole years. | 74 | 68 | |
1st half of year | 74 | 65 | |
2d half | 74 | 70 |
You will bear in mind that these tables are compiled from those accounts of “Greyhound Produce” sent to the Field and are only a portion of the dogs kept for public coursing.
Few dogs are bred in the winter so they would run to disadvantage in the puppy stakes of the following season.—
There are some extraordinary instances of hereditary influence over colours in greyhounds—if you like to have them collected—certain celebrated dogs are known never to have produced any puppies but those of one colour, which was not influenced by the colour of the female—etc
I | Greyhounds produce 4 | ||||
Males | Females | ||||
1857 | From | Coursing | Calendar | 504 | 516 |
1858 | Field | Vol.11. | 12 | 245 | 219 |
1859 | 13 | 14 | 157 | 138 | |
1860 | 15. | 16 | 275 | 235 | |
1861 | 17 | 18 | 202 | 207 | |
1862 | 19 | 20 | 312 | 254 | |
1863 | vols. 21. | 22 | 366 | 316 | |
1864 | 23 | 24 | 265 | 278 | |
1865 | 25 | 26 | 298 | 255 | |
1866 | 27 | 28 | 308 | 279 | |
1867 | 29 | 30 | 378 | 325 | |
1868 | 31 | 32 | 295 | 251 | |
3605 | 3273 | ||||
II | Greyhound produce | |||
Jan to June | July to Decr | |||
Males | Females | Males | Females | |
1857 | ||||
8 | 150 | 114 | 95 | 105 |
9 | ||||
1860 | 223 | 181 | 52 | 54 |
1 | 153 | 164 | 49 | 43 |
2 | 202 | 175 | 110 | 79 |
3 | 279 | 236 | 87 | 80 |
4 | 211 | 221 | 54 | 57 |
5 | 231 | 197 | 67 | 58 |
6 | 269 | 238 | 39 | 41 |
7 | 330 | 274 | 48 | 51 |
8 | ||||
2048 | 1800 | 601 | 568 |
CD annotations
3273 |
6878 |
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Summary
Numerical proportion of males to females in greyhound puppies.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6700
- From
- William Bernhard Tegetmeier
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 85: B29–33
- Physical description
- Amem 5pp inc
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6700,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6700.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17