RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Birds…Wallace. CUL-DAR84.2.9. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 2.2022. 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: 172.

[9]

Birds

I saw that male character for conspicuous & other reasons probable to be noticed wd be injurious to female but I was far from seeing how far this view might be extended. Wallace

The question is whether this will account for all differences ie whether male & female wd have been always equally beautiful. This in itself is very improbable for we know that with pigeon Pouter — wattle & colour have gone with male alone — Woodpeckers with crimson Head —— some Parrots differ, yet concealed nest — I think some Trogons.

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

File last updated 25 September, 2022