To Alfred Newton   23 January [1867]

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

Jan 23

My dear Sir

I thank you very sincerely for your very full & perfectly clear statement about the male plumage.1 I wish the evidence had been a little more distinct, though certainly from the several points which you mention, the probability of the truth of your view seems great. I will look to the papers in the Ibis to which you have been so good as to refer me.2 Your theory is to me so captivating that I much hope you will be able some day to prove it.3

With my cordial thanks for your very kind letter believe me | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

LS

Endorsement: ‘C. Darwin, Down. Jany. 2324/67’

3
CD discussed the instances of male birds that sat on eggs being smaller and less brightly coloured than females of the same species in Descent 2: 200–8.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5376A,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5376A