Ɛpsilon

To W. B. Tegetmeier   5 April 1874

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

Ap. 5th 74

My dear Sir

Many thanks for Boddart. I am ashamed to say that I cannot remember whether I have paid my subscription of 5/–. I enclose a card (addressed to save as much trouble as possible) & please tell me on it whether I have paid, & if not whether the P.O.O shall be payable at the Strand or at Finchley.1 I am very much obliged for the very interesting article about the Argus Pheasant2

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

LS(A)

1
CD had agreed to subscribe to Tegetmeier’s edition of Boddaert 1783 (Tegetmeier ed. 1874; see letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, [before 5 April 1874]). He evidently paid Tegetmeier by Post Office order. Tegetmeier lived in Finchley, North London; he wrote for the Field, which had offices in the Strand, Central London.
2
CD refers to an article by Tegetmeier, ‘Display of the argus pheasant’, in the Field, 28 March 1874, p. 296; a copy is in DAR 88: 188. The article included a large illustration by Thomas W. Wood of the male displaying its plumage before the female, and an extract from Descent 2: 141 describing the development of ocelli in the wing-feathers of the bird. A simplified version of Wood’s drawing was used in Descent 2d ed., p. 400 plate 52.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 (addressed] parenthesis added in CD’s hand
1.3 as possible] after closing parenthesis added and del in CD’s hand
1.3 ) & please] parenthesis over semicolon in CD’s hand
1.5 very] interl in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9390,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9390