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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. Noordhoek Hegt   19 April 1869

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

Ap. 19. 1869

Dear Sir

I hope that you will excuse my troubling you once again, & it shall be the last time. I write partly to ask whether there is now any difference in the development of the spurs in the last year’s birds of Pavo Spicifer & cristatus.1 But there is another point, on which I shd be greatly indebted for information.

I hear that you possess adult Mandrills of both sexes, & the young; & I want much to know whether the space at the posterior end of the body, which is almost or quite destitute of hair, is larger in the male than in the female. I believe that the naked space is much more brightly coloured in the male. I want also to know whether the surface destitute of hair on the face is larger in the male than in the female. I have consulted various works of Nat. Hist & find a surprizing difference in the descriptions of the colour of the face in the 2 sexes & in the young.2

Can you refer me to any accurate description of the sexual differences in colour? I fear it wd be quite unreasonable in me to ask you to give me a very brief description of the difference.

As I shd wish to quote you on Pavo & about the Mandrill if you are so kind as to assist me, will you be so good as to tell me whether I read your signature correctly as Hyt or Hijt

It wd give me much pleasure to send you, as a mark of my respect, any of my works, such as my Journal of Travel or Origin of Species &c3

I hope that you will forgive me troubling & believe me | dear Sir | yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin

PS. Do you possess the Macacus inornatus from Borneo, which is said to shed tears when in distress?4

Footnotes

See Correspondence vol. 16, letter to Natura Magistra Artis, 28 November 1868, and letter from J. N. Hegt, 11 December 1868. Pavo spicifer is now considered to be a subspecies of P. muticus (the green peafowl); P. cristatus is the common Indian peafowl.
CD refers to his Journal of researches and Origin.
Macacus inornatus is now Macaca maura. For more on the Macacus inornatus from Borneo, which was bought by the Zoological Society of London, see Correspondence vol. 16, letter from James Murie, 1 May 1868 and n. 1. There is a note by Francis Darwin, dated 20 June 1867, that includes the statements: ‘The Macacus inornatus from Borneo certainly cries, so that the tears roll down its face when in grief or even when pitied. The woman who sold it said so. Bartlett & Sutton have both repeatedly seen it.’ (DAR 189: 138.) Francis referred to Abraham Dee Bartlett, the superintendent of the Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park, London, and Seth Sutton, a keeper there.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Journal of researches: Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by HMS Beagle, under the command of Captain FitzRoy, RN, from 1832 to 1836. By Charles Darwin. London: Henry Colburn. 1839.

Summary

Enquires about spurs in the last year’s birds of Pavo Spicifer and cristatus.

Enquires about sexual differences in mandrills.

Asks the correct spelling of JNH’s surname and offers to send a copy of Journal of Researches.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-6705F
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
J. Noordhoek Hegt
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Stadsarchief Amsterdam (395: 614)
Physical description
LS(A) 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6705F,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6705F.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17

letter