Fondly remembers the days he spent with TCE.
Doubts the Canadian skeleton will have anything to do with man.
Returns extracts.
Samuel Haughton is a bitter opponent.
CD now working on plants;
doubts he will ever return to working on man.
Thanks TCE for telling him of his crossed pigs. When they are grown, he would like to know whether they resemble each other.
Doubts the half-bred Gallus sonnerati will be productive, though he was assured many years ago that such a fertile half-breed once occurred.
Unable to give information on Mrs Shaw of Crayford.
Mentions TCE’s interest in dog- and pig-skeleton researches.
Interested in seeing the Eyton Museum.
Reminisces about entomology [at Cambridge].
Asks TCE’s advice on preparation of birds’ skeletons.
His pigeon collection is growing; now has pairs of ten varieties.
Now has several pigeons, and intends to get pigeons from all parts of the world.
Glad TCE is working at dogs. Would TCE like head of Chinese dog?
Vexed he cannot find head of [Chinese] dog.
First took up skeletonising to see how much young pigeons and poultry differed from the old.
Wishes to ascertain differences in skeletons of pigeons, poultry, covey birds, and rabbits. William Yarrell has shown CD breastbones. W. B. Tegetmeier has shown him skulls of fowls.
Asks whether offspring of cross between African pig and common pig are fertile. Are Lord Rowland Hill’s African pigs domesticated?
Mentions pigeons’ skeletons.
Is working at a book on variation [Natural selection].
Asks about strains of Herefordshire cattle.
Asks whether number of incisors varies in domestic pigs. Is testing views of J. M. Bechstein.
Comments on TCE’s book [Herd book of Hereford cattle (1846–59)]. Mentions variations in the breed.
Will quote TCE on geese [Mag. Nat. Hist. 4 (1840): 90–2].
Problem of geographical distribution; his seed-salting experiments. Asks about distribution of seeds to islands. Do water-birds ever have dirty feet?
Could Eyton’s gamekeepers collect owl and hawk pellets? Asks for dace stomachs and contents.
Asks for cats’ skeletons.
Offers TCE dog’s skin and skull received from W. F. Daniell in West Africa.
Mentions his experiments involving hawk pellets in seed distribution.
Reminds TCE about pig crosses and incisors.
Comments on TCE’s work [Catalogue of the species of birds in his collection (1856)].
Mentions African dog’s skin.
Asks about colours of horses
and about variation in tracheae of male birds.
Ill.
Comments on TCE’s study of birds’ bones.
His work on variation progresses.
Asks about horses with bars like zebra or ass.
Sends TCE West African dog’s skin.
Has TCE observed whether hybrids of Chinese and common forms [of geese] were wilder, or less tame, than both parents?
Has finished arranging his pigeons’ skeletons. May consult TCE on them.
CD is at work on an abstract of his conclusions on species and varieties [Origin]. His "bigger book" [Natural selection] will take two or three more years.
Comments on TCE’s skeletons.
Must get advice from Hugh Falconer on names of some bones.
Preparing his abstract [Origin].
Asks about colours of horses and stripes on asses.
Asks about dirt clinging to feet of birds as means of seed distribution.
Mentions reactions to Origin. It will "horrify and disgust" TCE.
Some authorities approve more than CD expected.
Asks about the period of gestation in dogs.
Has received the shipment of skeletons of fowls. Asks TCE species name of Gungla cock. Mentions other specimens.