Showing 1–20 of 66 items
Detailed notes on secondary sexual differences in various species of birds and mammals.
Coloration in moths.
Quotes Achille Guénée on relative proportion of sexes in Phalaenites.
Aggressive behaviour of a bullfinch toward new arrival in JJW’s aviary.
Sexual differences in goldfinches: size of beaks.
Sexual selection in Lepidoptera.
Thinks Dr Alex Wallace’s observations on Bombyx not conclusive in proving that no preference is shown by females.
Sexual preference in insects;
structures for seizing females;
coloration.
Doubts whether CD can make much of a case from insects in support of sexual selection.
On the proportion of sexes in moths; Lepidoptera females command higher prices; quotes Staudinger’s catalogue [see Descent 1: 311–12].
Ticking of Anobium tessellatum [see Descent 1: 385].
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.
Offers enclosure demonstrating that natural selection could produce sterility of hybrids.
More on Pangenesis and the inadequacy of H. Spencer’s approach.
Is engaged on an article for Fortnightly Review on Variation ["Mr Darwin’s hypotheses", n.s. 9: 353–73, 611–28; n.s. 10: 61–80, 492–509]. Asks CD some questions.
While he agrees with natural selection, he believes many "organic details" develop irrespective of advantage.
Canine teeth in males are always larger than in females and certainly so in Cervulus moschus.
Asks CD to collect from the Jermyn Street Museum a box containing a skull and bones which belong to Mr Cumberbatch.
Now quite understands Pangenesis. Satisfaction given by it, as CD says, may depend on one’s mental constitution. In all cases of descent JDH has always thought "all the properties of the parents are transmitted in the one cell and were diffused to every part of the future offspring".
Tyndall believes he feels atoms as firmly as St Paul believed he saw Christ.
JM offers a note for 400 guineas as author’s payment on sale of 1250 copies of 2d issue of Variation.
Quotes information from Dr Power on colour of sexes of Crustacea in Mauritius [see Descent 1: 335].
Sends copy of a paper on his flock of sheep, which confirms much of what CD says in Variation,
together with a note he made of an instance of cattle "determining the existence" of a tree [cf. Origin, ch. 3].
Proportions of sexes of the silkworm are about equal, but knows of no statistics.
Cannot share his view of origin of species.
Crying in babies.
Visiting W. D. Fox.
Sends specimen of Cardamine pratensis,
and an account of a striped horse.
Discusses Pangenesis.
Has returned to religion and has been reflecting on God’s mercies, one of which CD should remember from about 1828 at Bodnant.
Replies to CD on salmon: the pugnacity of males and the proportions of sexes. [see Descent 1: 308, 2: 3.]
Does not think females give preference to any males. Coloration, pugnacity; cases of use of colour in struggle for existence. [see Descent 1: 395.]
JM sends note for £420.
Asks CD to use his good offices on behalf of William Clowes’s son who is up for election to Athenaeum.