WCP1599

[1]¹

Chirbury,

Beckenham,

Kent.

30 Dec^r. 1892

My Dear D^r. Wallace

I have for several days past been again carefully reading your essay on Natural Selection and Tropical Nature² much to my enjoyment, ededification, and refreshment of my memory.

I cannot believe Darwin’s³ view of sexual selection producing bright colors will bear examination and in the main quite agree with your view of the question. I was however rather [2] impressed that you make no allusion to Stolzmann’s⁴ views on this very interesting subject, because I understood at the time the paper by him, was read at the Zoological Society, and afterwards published in the Proceedings, it had been referred to you, and you were in town of its publication.-

Still I see you still hold that the sexes are about equal in birds which is quite in opposition to his views PZS 1885 pp 420-429.⁵

But the object I have been troubling you with this letter is to draw your attention, though you may know the fact that in confinement [3] it is impossible in many species of ^birds to produce in the males the natural coloration especially if the color is red.—

The four linnet-like birds, the linnet, twite, redpole, and mealy redpole, have red produced in the males in the Spring, in the first[,] [illeg.] ^fourth and third on the pole and breast, and in the second on the rump, now none of the males of these four species can regain this red color after being molted in captivity, which supports your view of the vigorous males being the more richly colored, for you cannot in captivity [4] obtain that robust health which characterises the wild bird; in the chaffinch, bullfinch, and other birds although the red is reproduced in captivity it is more or less of an orange tint.—

Again I have in my garden four very healthy <Oystuco tichus>, two I have had two years, but they never obtain the red legs of the wild bird which is so distinctive a chromatin, that the genus derives its name Hematitus from this coloration.— [5] It has always appeared to me to be a singular fact that birds which make the most show of their androchromal decorations, are so little salacious, it is rare to see a peacock tread the hen and not very common in the case of the turkey, compare this with the dull colored sparrows habits in this respect.

Your observations page [6] 120 that none of the Sylviadae Turdidae, Muscicapidae, and Laniadae you are aware of make a domed nest or place it in a hole of a tree. —

The Chiff Chaff, Wood Warbler, and Willow Warble typical Sylviinde [sic] all make domed nests, the Pied Flycatcher always makes its nest in the hole of a tree or wall, the Dipper and the Wren are both Turdiformes, but in the Tinieliidae a separate division, make domed nests, no doubt there are many [7] other exceptions but I write only of what I know of, you will I trust ponder my drawing attention to this. —

I got myself recently into trouble by using a rather too all-embracing expression but was glad to be put right.

In the present state of the nomenclature of Butterflies is in scarcely correct to use the word Helicinidae in the sense in which you do when writing of mimicry, than are [8] Helicinidae mimicked, but generally the Ithomiinae are the mimicked family, indeed several Heliciniae mimic Ithomiinae.—

Wishing you and Mrs Wallace⁶ a happy new year[.]

I am | My Dear D^r. Wallace | Yours very sincerely | J Jenner Weir⁷ [signature]

D^r. A Russel Wallace