CD thanks JJW for the mine of information his last "ten!" letters contain. Comments on sexual display of pheasants and colour preferences of pigeons.
Asks about hens that pair earliest in spring and about possible existence of unpaired birds.
George Rolleston’s son was born with a scar on his knee exactly where GR cut himself with a knife years before his marriage. Gives several other examples of inherited mutilation.
Starlings find new mates readily. Nesting in threes common.
Recognition of song by birds.
Describes a curious litter of rabbits.
Pairing of rooks, courtship of golden pheasant.
Behaviour of finch hybrids.
Seasonal coloration of birds; bright plumage results from sexual selection.
Discusses rapid replacement of mates among birds. "I begin to think that the pairing of birds must be as delicate and tedious an operation as the pairing of young gentlemen and ladies. If I can convince myself that there are habitually many unpaired birds it will be a great aid to me in sexual selection". Notes rivalry of singing birds.
Heard from George Rolleston of the inherited effects of an eye injury.
Disagrees with A. R. Wallace’s idea "that birds learn to make their nests from having seen them whilst young" ["The philosophy of birds’ nests", Intellect. Obs. 11 (1867): 413–20].
Instinct in birds; nest-building.
Inheritance of acquired characters.
Proportion of sexes in chaffinches.
Pugnacity of blackbirds and robins.
Harrison Weir reports up to nine eggs in starling nests.
Newspaper report of a sheep born with its owner’s brand.
Observations on root-climbers. Variegated and arborescent varieties of Hedera.
[CD’s notes are for his reply, 6165.]