ous domestic
breed, I should be very glad to have it; but I can plainly see that the
result will not be at all worth the trouble which I have taken. The case
is different with the domestic pigeons; from its study I have learned
much. The Rajah has sent me some of his pigeons and fowls and _cats'_
skins from the interior of Borneo and from Singapore. Can you tell me
positively that black jaguars or leopards are believed generally or
always to pair with black? I do not think colour of offspring good
evidence. Is the case of parrots fed on fat of fish turning colour
mentioned in your Travels? I remember a case of parrots with (I think)
poison from some toad put into hollow whence primaries had been removed.

One of the subjects on which I have been experimenting, and which cost
me much trouble, is the means of distribution of all organic beings
found on oceanic islands; and any facts on this subject would be most
gratefully received.

Land-molluscs are a great perplexity to me. This is a very dull letter,
but I am a good deal out of health, and am writing this, not from my
home, as dated, but from a water-cure establishment.

With most sincere good wishes for your success in every way, I remain,
my dear Sir, yours sincerely,

CH. DARWIN.

* * * * *

LETTER II

C. DARWIN TO A.R. WALLACE

_Down, Bromley, Kent. December 22, 1867._

My dear Sir,--I thank you for your letter of Sept. 27th. I am extremely
glad to hear that you are attending to distribution in accordance with
theoretical ideas. I am a firm believer that without speculation there
is no good and original observation. Few travellers have attended to
such points as you are now at work on; and indeed the whole subject of
distribution of animals is dreadfully behind that of plants. You say
that you have been somewhat surprised at no notice having been taken of
your paper in the _Annals_. I cannot say that I am; for so very few
naturalists care for anything beyond the mere description of species.
But you must not suppose that your paper has not been attended to: two
very good men, Sir C. Lyell, and Mr. E. Blyth at Calcutta, specially
called my attention to it. Though agreeing with you on your conclusions
in the paper, I believe I go much further than you; but it is too long a
subject to enter on my speculative notions. I have not yet seen your
paper on distribution of animals in the Aru Islands: I shall read it
with the _utmo