Has read WBT’s interesting communication on bees’ cells [Athenæum 16 Oct 1858]. Would like to see his excavated cells.
Showing 61–80 of 191 items
The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Has read WBT’s interesting communication on bees’ cells [Athenæum 16 Oct 1858]. Would like to see his excavated cells.
Wants WBT’s advice on poultry breeding experiments. Are certain birds true to their kind, and what should he pay for them?
"I thank you much for your note. The object, of course, is what you say. I did not guess that I shd have to pay so much per hen to Baker & the experiment would not be at all worth such a sum. I have not a single hen worth sending to Steven’s. If it really will not cost you much trouble, & you could get me some Hens & a young Spanish cock of pure breed . . . I will try to experiment and shall be very heartily obliged to you". CD mentions satisfactory local hens of a particular breed and an experiment being conducted on "Silver Barbs [with] black wing bars & white rump or bar at end of tail".
Thanks for some poultry breeds.
Wants white breeds of poultry.
Poor health necessitates a trip to Moor Park, Farnham.
Sends list of poultry breeds he would like.
Sends payment for poultry received.
Thanks WBT for his help with poultry
and informs him about his forthcoming work [Origin].
Has an astonishing lot of mongrel poultry and expects next generation to approach Gallus bankiva in red-brown plumage.
Reports the results of some poultry crossing experiments; comments on transmission of different features.
"My unlucky Book [Origin] will be published 1st week in November."
Gives the results of crossing experiments; some interesting and curious facts.
Discusses poultry crosses, "what a hopelessly difficult subject is that of inheritance!" Gives details of some pigeon crosses he made; cannot positively recall which produced the blue bird.
Sends queries for "Fanciers"
and asks about the mating of the queen bee.
Thanks WBT for observations on colours of newly-hatched pigeons of different breeds. Asks if breeders have noticed any differences in lengths of time eggs were incubated in different breeds.
Asks whether crossing breeds of hive-bees is advantageous
and whether different pigeon breeds have different incubation periods.
Explains and apologises for the lack of detailed quotations in Origin.
Thanks for information on pigeon hatching
and on drones.
Believes occasional crosses indispensable.
Regrets he has nothing that he could contribute to the Field and cannot spare the time to work out anything on bees’ cells.
Is obliged for WBT’s "curious case". Discusses the effects of castration on development.
Would like to borrow WBT’s collection of fowls’ skulls.
Asks for WBT’s opinion of G. Ferguson, the author of a poultry book [Ferguson’s illustrated book of domestic poultry].
Thanks for skulls
and information about Ferguson.
Is working on rabbits’ skeletons.