WCP2088

[1]

Magd Coll:

23. April 1867.

My dear Wallace,

Except the Struthious birds I do not think it is known that the males of any sit on the eggs — of course I mean exclusively for ⁱⁿ many of the smaller birds both sexes seem to incubate — I believe however that it will be found that in the true[?] Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) & the Phalaropes, as well as in the Godwits that the male is the nurse.

Hitherto however I don't think [2] there is any thing like positive proof of the fact. In the case of the Godwits you might easily ascertain the truth by moving across to Holland for a week or two.

As to Rhynchoea I am not aware[?] that there is evidence either way — At Nottingham once one (I rather think you yourself) said that in birds the males were always ^{(except the Accipters)} larger and more beautiful than the females. Whereupon Layard¹ cited the case of Rhynchoea in which the contrary [3] is the case — I then added that the same fact was observable in some of the Charadriomorphs (only the word was not then invented) & suggested that (as I had some good reason to think that in the Red-necked Phalarope the cock acted as nurse) in all such cases it might be the male which did the incubation & if so that your theory would not be invalidated by these seeming exceptions.

Have you looked at Faber's² "Ueber das Leben der hochnordischen Vögel" [German: The life of the high Norse birds]?³ I know there is something [4] in it that is to the point — but I have never read[?] the book, though I possess it & would gladly lend it to you. There are some translated extracts⁴ from it in Edinb[urgh] N[ew] Philos[ophical] Journal⁵ for 1833 by, I believe, D^r Charlton^{6 of Newcastle}, who I rather think has a MS. translation in his possession which, it is much to be regretted, was never published.

Is your article⁷ on Mimicry sufficiently physiological for our Journal of Anatomy & Physiology?⁸ If so we would willingly print it for you. I know nothing of the 'Westminster'⁹ people or practice — I inspire[?] however they would not object to letting you have some extra copies. No publication¹⁰ of the kind has ever referred[?] them to me. I am sending you a separate copy of Schlegel's¹¹ Tanysiptera paper¹²— it may be of convenience to you in composing a reply to it. Please let me have it again.

Y[ou]^rs very truly | Alfred Newton [signature]