RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1964. [Inquiring about the habits of the American Cuckoo, 1858]. In American and other manuscripts, Washington, Lincoln and other presidents & signers, naval papers, literature, music, from various sources, including the collection of the Benjamin Smith family and estate of the late Philip Ward, jr. public auction Tuesday. 1964. Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here. Partly silked. Sold for USD 210. Not found in the Correspondence.
This is part of or similar to the enclosure apparently sent to A. A. Gould which was sent on to Thomas M. Brewer regarding the Cuculus americanus (Coccyzus americanus). See T. M. Brewer to A. A. Gould [March 1858] in Correspondence vol. 7. The editors of the Correspondence noted: "CD had asked Gould for information on the habits of the American cuckoo. Gould, in turn, had forwarded the queries to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an authority on birds' eggs, and then sent Brewer's reply to CD (see Correspondence vol. 7, letter to A. A. Gould, 6 April [1858]".
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Are the eggs. . .of small size, relating to its size of body, as in the case of the European species which lays its eggs in other small birds nests?. . . Have the nestling birds a hollow back, as in the European species, & used by these latter for ejecting their foster-brothers? Has it ever been observed, when the nest is visited, that the young birds erect their feathers & try to frighten an intruder?
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 3 November, 2023