Approves drawing. No one who cannot draw should attempt to be a naturalist. Suggests corrections to [Lepas?] drawing. Comments on position of ganglia, cement glands, and stomach.
No summary available.
JN's duties at Mint ended with successful completion of copper coinage at Birmingham. Asks JH for testimonial to help JN find other government employment.
No summary available.
Thanks HAW for columbine and asparagus seeds and for counting pods for him. CD is astonished at the number of pods. Needs more seeds for one of his experiments.
Has he met Huxley yet? He is a very clever man.
Comments on the ease with which different species of Felis can be tamed.
Asian species of wild cattle.
Variation in colour of jackals.
Discusses the difficulties of differentiating between varieties and species. EB recommends Herman Schlegel’s definition of species [in Essay on the physiognomy of serpents, trans. T. S. Traill (1843)]. Problems of defining species of wolves and squirrels. Pigeons and doves afford an illustration of "clusters of species, varieties, or races". Various pigeons have local species in different parts of India and Burma, some of which interbreed where their ranges cross; as do the local species of Coracias [see Natural selection, p. 259].
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this memorandum.]
No summary available.
Would welcome any distinct breed of poultry and would be glad to have any good pigeons.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Gives extract from a letter from Capt. R. Tickell: rabbits are not bred by the Burmese; common European and Chinese geese are bred but have probably only recently been introduced.
EB gives references to works illustrating the dog-like instinct of N. American wolves.
Discusses reason and instinct; ascribes both to man and animals. Comments on various instincts, e. g. homing, migratory, parental, constructive, and defensive. Reasoning in animals; cattle learning to overcome fear of passing trains.
Hybrid sterility as an indication of distinct species. Interbreeding as an indication of common parentage.
Enlarges upon details given by J. C. Prichard [in The natural history of man (1843)].
Adaptation of the two-humped camel to cold climates. Camel hybrids.
Doubts that domestic fowl or fancy pigeons have ever reverted to the wild.
Feral horses and cattle of S. America.
Believes the "creole pullets" to be a case of inaccurate description.
Variations in skulls between species of wild boar.
Pigs are so prolific that the species might be expected to cross.
Milk production of cows and goats.
Sheep and goats of lower Bengal.
Indian breeds of horses.
Variation in Asiatic elephants.
Spread of American tropical and subtropical plants in the East.
EB distinguishes between races and artificially-produced breeds.
[CD’s notes are an abstract of this memorandum.]
Is glad to hear that his health is improving. Has been preparing the wording of a tablet to be erected in memory of Richard Sheepshanks. Sends a proof of one of his theorems.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Thanks for engraving of Saturn; comments on other aspects of observing that planet. JH notes he is confined to a wheelchair.
Forwards two specimens of beans found on north coast of Norway.
No summary available.
Further instructions from Melbourne about the transfer of funds [see JH's 1855-7-8]; will be happy to get rid of this problem.
Attests to JN's competence at Mint and in superintending copper coinage at Birmingham.
No summary available.