Thanks AN for telling him of the complex cross among wagtails. CD is surprised that so much close interbreeding does not check their propagation.

CD does not suppose he will ever have strength to work up his data on hybridism, so he will not write to Mr Monk.

Asks CD to join W. H. Flower and Huxley in signing a memorial in support of Dr Coues. He is a U.S. Army surgeon who has been working on an ornithological bibliography and needs support to complete his work in England.

"I have signed the enclosed with pleasure."

Thanks AN for his kind expression about Frank [Darwin].

Thanks CD for the reference to Audubon’s story. T. M. Brewer is to be trusted, but his account does not suggest why the bird always moved northward.

Sends tuber of Chilean wild potato, requested through Hooker and P. L. Sclater.

Plans to exhibit a bird’s foot with a large ball of clay attached. This phenomenon supports CD on seed dispersal.

Tells CD where to pick up the partridge’s foot with the ball of earth attached; sends a copy of his remarks on the same. [See Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 3d ser. 13 (1864): 99–101.]

Thanks for potatoes, which may be useful in crossing.

Germination of seeds in earth on partridge’s foot.

Eighty-two plants have germinated from earth on wounded partridge’s foot.

Marvels that seeds from the lump of clay on the partridge’s foot have germinated. At Zoological Society [J. E.?] Gray ridiculed him. Now Frank Buckland would like to see the specimen.

CD has thrown away injured partridge’s foot.

CD need not worry about having discarded the partridge’s foot.

Asks CD to support his candidacy for Professorship of Zoology at Cambridge. Since he has spent many years travelling, he is not well enough known at the University.

Declines writing testimonial for AN for the Cambridge Professorship in Zoology. The post requires expertise in comparative anatomy and histology, whereas AN’s work is on habits and colours of birds.

CD need not apologise for not writing a testimonial for him. He knows comparative anatomy, although he has confined his publication to ornithology. Agrees that with a few members of the University a recommendation from CD would be harmful.

Thanks for new edition of Origin [4th ed.].

Has met CD’s son [George] at Trinity College.

Seeks explanation of the case of the Rhynchaea, of which the female is more beautiful than the male, with the young resembling the latter. Wallace has told CD that at Nottingham AN explained this by the male being the incubator.

Does the male black Australian swan, or the black and white S. American swan, differ from the female in colour of plumage?

Suggests that, in some birds, plumage of males is less colourful than that of females; the reason is that the males perform the duties of incubation [see Descent 2: 204 n.].

Thanks for the information about the male plumage. [See 5374.] Will look to the papers in Ibis to which AN has referred him. He finds AN’s theory captivating.

Male dotterels take care of young and are less brilliantly coloured than females.

Thanks for information about the dotterel.

CD had ascertained by dissection that the female of the carrion-hawk of the Falkland Islands is very much brighter coloured than the male. Has inquired about its nidification. Mentions other instances of female birds that are brighter and more beautiful than the males and suggests causes for this anomaly.