1866—1872] SEXUAL SELECTION 71 



approve of my book ; I thought every mortal man would find Letter 438 

 the details very tedious, and have often repented of 

 so many. You will find pangenesis stiff reading, and i f 

 will shake your head in disapproval. Wallace sticks up for 

 the great god Pan like a man. 



The fertility of hybrid canaries would be a fine subject for 

 careful invei tigation. 



To J. Jenner Weir. ttCT 439 



Down, April 4th [1868]. 



I read over your last ten (!) letters this morning, and made 

 an index of their contents for easy reference; and what a 

 mine of wealth you have bestowed on me. I am glad you 

 will publish yourself on gay-coloured caterpillars and birds ; ' 

 it seems to me much the best plan ; therefore, I will not 

 forward your letter to Mr. Wallace. I was much in the 

 Zoological Gardens during my month in London, and picked 

 up what scraps of knowledge I could. Without my having 

 mentioned your most interesting observations on the display 

 of the Fringillidae, 8 Mr. Bartlett told me how the Gold 

 Pheasant erects his collar and turns from side to side, 

 displaying it to the hen. I le has offered to give me notes on 

 the display of all Gallinacea? with which he is acquainted ; 

 but he is so busy a man that I rather doubt whether he will 

 ever do so. 



I received about a week ago a remarkably kind letter from 

 your brother, and I am sorry to hear that he suffers much in 

 health. He gave me some fine facts about a Dun Hen 

 Carrier which would never pair with a bird of any other 

 colour. He told me, also, of some one at Lewes who paints 



1 See Descent of Man, Ed. 1., vol. I., p. 417, where Mr. Weir's 

 experiments arc given ; they were made to test Mr. Wallace's theory that 

 caterpillars, which are pro _;.iin>t birds by an unpleasant taste, have 



been rendered conspicuous, so that they are easily recognised. Tl 

 thus escape being pecked or tasted, which to soft-skinned animals would 

 be as fatal as being devoured. See Mr. Jenner Weir's papers, Transa : 

 Entomolog. So&, i860, p. 2 ; 1870, p. 337. In regard to one of these 

 papers Mr. Darwin wrote (May 13th, 1869) : "Your verification of 

 Wallace's suggestion seems to me to amount to quite a discovery. 



s Descent 0/ Man (1901), p. 738. 



