To W. D. Fox 14 January [1858]1
Down Bromley Kent
Jan. 14th
My dear Fox
Have you Hewitsons work on Eggs, in which you gave some observations on variations of Birds’ nests?2 If you have could you dare send it per post well done up & allow me to pay postage; for I do not know how else I cd get to see it.—
Have you ever heard that the first year that Birds build, they are not quite so adroit— LeRoy states this to be so, but I can hardly believe him.3
Can you give me any thoroughily well authenticated facts on ever so little variations in nests; I do not mean such cases as the Water owzel habitually having a doomed or open nest—or difference of Sparrow’s nest in tree & in hole; but rather any slight difference in degree of perfection of nest of same species in different districts or of any individuals of same species.—4
The smallest charity in this line would be gratefully accepted.—
Ever yours | In Haste | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Hewitson, William Chapman. 1831–44. British oology; being illustrations of the eggs of British birds, with figures of each species, as far as practicable, drawn and coloured from nature: accompanied by descriptions of the materials and situation of their nests, number of eggs, etc. 2 vols. and supplement. Newcastle upon Tyne.
Leroy, Charles Georges. 1802. Lettres philosophiques sur l’intelligence et la perfectibilité des animaux, avec quelques lettres sur l’homme. Paris.
Summary
Asks to borrow W. C. Hewitson’s book [British oology, 2 vols. (1831–44)].
CD is searching for reliable information on slight variations in the degree of perfection of nests of the same species of birds.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2202
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Darwin Fox
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (MS 53 Fox 108)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2202,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2202.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7
