Muswell Hill | London | N
July 4. 1866
My dear Sir.
All the blocks are engraved except that of the Rock dove which is now in the artist’s hands—1 I had a good deal of difficulty in procuring a specimen that I could rely on as not being crossed with dovecot pigeons, but have now two in the flesh, from the Coast of Lewis (Western Islands) and from Stromness (Orkneys)—2 To show the wing bars etc. as you wished I have had one hung up by the leg, and drawn after a photograph. In this position the bars on the wings & wing coverts, the white rump feathers—tail bars etc are really admirably shewn and if you do not object to a drawing looking like an artistic sketch of “dead game”, I think it will suit, as the plumage is much better shewn than in a natural position, at least as regards the characteristic markings3
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Will you be so good as ⟨to⟩ read the article by Mr Teeba⟨y⟩ ⟨in⟩ the July Number of the Po⟨ultry Book⟩ chapter on spangled Hamburghs it will interest you ⟨ ⟩ how nearly two varieties ⟨ ⟩ fowls), can approach in Me⟨ ⟩ ⟨ ⟩ yet be incapable of amalgamation4
Teebays statements are perfectly reliable— he is a most practised breeder and fair describer
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Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5143,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on