The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1867.12.05. The tail feathers of snipe described Proceedings Zoolog Society 1858. CUL-DAR84.2.196. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2022. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR80-86 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man (1871).

Darwin cited this in Descent 2: 64, n53: "Mr. Salvin, in 'Proc. Zool. Soc.' 1867, p. 160. I am much indebted to this distinguished ornithologist for sketches of the feathers of the Chamæpetes, and for other information."

[196]

The tail-feathers of Snipe described Proc. Zoolog. Soc. 1858 - Have I indices?

Machæropterus genus allied to [Pissa] with shaft of wing - feathers, enlarged, globular & naked & hard - some of the birds of group make a whistling noise - is a masculine character

[in margin: see abstract of Ibis]

Mr Salvin showed me the attenuated & scimitar like first wing-feather in Curassow for same purpose. He showed me a Humming Bird with the same masculine character [Proc. Zool. Soc] 1867 p 160 & makes a whistling noise see Gould. In a pigeon Leptopila (?) in both sexes, same structures & makes whistling noise in flight. In such different birds, whether creation or development, such structures for such purposes surprising

Dec. 5 1867

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)