Summary

Courtship of goldfinches. Male display. [See Descent 2: 95.]

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.

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

Relates a variety of facts about sexual selection in birds. [See Descent 2: 104–5.]

Summary

Experiments to test Wallace’s theory that brightly coloured caterpillars are rejected by birds. [See Descent 1: 417.]

Summary

Proportions of sexes in birds as reported by bird-catchers.

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

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

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

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

George Rolleston’s son was born with a scar on his knee exactly where GR cut himself with a knife years before his marriage. Gives several other examples of inherited mutilation.

Summary

Describes a curious litter of rabbits.

Pairing of rooks, courtship of golden pheasant.

Behaviour of finch hybrids.

Seasonal coloration of birds; bright plumage results from sexual selection.

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

Instinct in birds; nest-building.

Inheritance of acquired characters.

Summary

Observations on root-climbers. Variegated and arborescent varieties of Hedera.

[CD’s notes are for his reply, 6165.]

Summary

Proportion of sexes in ruffs [see Descent 1: 306].

Colour display in linnets, songbirds. Courtship display of Australian pigeon at zoo.

Summary

Starlings find new mates readily. Nesting in threes common.

Recognition of song by birds.

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

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