give me notes on the display of all
Gallinaceae 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 his
dog! and will inquire about it. By the way, Mr. Trimen tells me that as
a boy he used to paint butterflies, and that they long haunted the same
place, but he made no further observations on them. As far as colour is
concerned, I see I shall have to trust to mere inference from the males
displaying their plumage, and other analogous facts. I shall get
no direct evidence of the preference of the hens. Mr. Hewitt, of
Birmingham, tells me that the common hen prefers a salacious cock, but
is quite indifferent to colour.

Will you consider and kindly give me your opinion on the two following
points. Do very vigorous and well-nourished hens receive the male
earlier in the spring than weaker or poorer hens? I suppose that they
do. Secondly, do you suppose that the birds which pair first in the
season have any advantage in rearing numerous and healthy offspring over
those which pair later in the season? With respect to the mysterious
cases of which you have given me so many, in addition to those
previously collected, of when one bird of a pair is shot another
immediately supplying its place, I was drawing to the conclusion that
there must be in each district several unpaired birds; yet this seems
very improbable. You allude, also, to the unknown causes which keep down
the numbers of birds; and often and often have I marvelled over this
subject with respect to many animals.

LETTER 440. TO A.R. WALLACE.

(440/1. The following refers to Mr. Wallace's article "A Theory of
Birds' Nests," in Andrew Murray's "Journal of Travel," Volume I., page
73. He here treats in fuller detail the view already published in the
"Westminster Review," July 1867, page 38. The rule which Mr. Wallace
believes, with very few exceptions, to hold good is, "that when both
sexes are of strikingly gay and conspicuous colours, the nest is...such
as to conceal the sitting bird; while, whenever there is a striking
contrast of colours, the male being gay and conspicuous, the female dull
and obscure, the nest is open, and the si