Summary

Discusses rapid replacement of mates among birds. "I begin to think that the pairing of birds must be as delicate and tedious an operation as the pairing of young gentlemen and ladies. If I can convince myself that there are habitually many unpaired birds it will be a great aid to me in sexual selection". Notes rivalry of singing birds.

Heard from George Rolleston of the inherited effects of an eye injury.

Disagrees with A. R. Wallace’s idea "that birds learn to make their nests from having seen them whilst young" ["The philosophy of birds’ nests", Intellect. Obs. 11 (1867): 413–20].

Summary

Thanks JJW for his great assistance.

Discusses sexual selection in birds.

Sends queries on secondary sexual characteristics of birds.

Has often marvelled at the different growth of the flowering and creeping branches of ivy.

Summary

Glad to have JJW’s opinion on nest-building. Wallace’s view [that skill is learned] is opposed to many facts.

Asks JJW about birds and their behaviour.

Wants information on the first plumage of different breeds of canaries.

Summary

Sexual behaviour of chaffinches.

Numbers of female linnets in September.

His experiments on brightly coloured larvae [as food], testing A. R. Wallace’s theory.

His observations of a rookery make him wonder whether it may not be more difficult than we think for birds to pair.

Summary

Sexual selection of pigeons, ducks;

polygamous birds.

Summary

Glad to hear about pigeons. Did not know some birds could win affections of females more than others, except among peacocks.

Comments on polygamy in birds.

Discusses sex ratios among birds.

Summary

CD thanks JJW for the mine of information his last "ten!" letters contain. Comments on sexual display of pheasants and colour preferences of pigeons.

Asks about hens that pair earliest in spring and about possible existence of unpaired birds.

Summary

Thanks for information [about sex ratios] received from bird-catchers.

"Can you form any theory about all the many cases which you have given me and others which have been published, of when one pair is killed, another soon appearing?"

Facts about gay-coloured caterpillars very satisfactory.

Comments on Pangenesis.

Summary

Various facts about birds: pairing, finding new mates, protective coloration, polygamy, sexual differences.

Summary

Proportion of sexes in chaffinches.

Pugnacity of blackbirds and robins.

Harrison Weir reports up to nine eggs in starling nests.

Newspaper report of a sheep born with its owner’s brand.

Summary

Answers CD’s question on whether any female birds regularly sing.

Summary

Does not think females give preference to any males. Coloration, pugnacity; cases of use of colour in struggle for existence. [see Descent 1: 395.]

Summary

Instinct in birds; nest-building.

Inheritance of acquired characters.

Summary

Starlings find new mates readily. Nesting in threes common.

Recognition of song by birds.

Summary

Discusses beaks and relative numbers of the sexes of goldfinches.

Comments on sexual selection among butterflies.

Mentions Kerguelen moth collected by Hooker.

Comments on JJW’s observations on coloured birds.

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.

Summary

Trusts his paper ["Apterous Lepidoptera" (1867), printed for the West Kent Natural History, Microscopical, and Photographic Society] showed that he is thoroughly a disciple of CD.

Cites evidence that birds undoubtedly distinguish colours. [see Descent 2: 110.]

Summary

Coloration of linnets.

Sexual behaviour of black hen bullfinch.

Summary

Both sexes of Crossoptilon auritum (eared pheasant) obtained the red cheeks the first year.

Coloration of the linnet.

Summary

Thanks for facts about birds displaying plumage during courtship; "for Butterflies I must trust to analogy altogether in regard to sexual selection".

Invites JJW to visit in summer.