She is over the crisis. I have had a horrid time of it, and
God only knows when we shall be all safe at home again--half my family
are at Bournemouth.
I have given a piece of the comb from Timor to a Mr. Woodbury (who is
working at the subject), and he is _extremely_ interested by it (I was
sure the specimen would be valuable) and has requested me to ascertain
whether the bee (_A. testacea_) is domesticated when it makes its combs.
Will you kindly inform me?
Your remarks on ostriches have interested me, and I have alluded to the
case in the Third Edition. The difficulty does not seem to me so great
as to you. Think of bustards, which inhabit wide open plains, and which
so seldom take flight: a very little increase in size of body would make
them incapable of flight. The idea of ostriches acquiring flight is
worthy of Westwood; think of the food required in these inhabitants of
the desert to work the pectoral muscles! In the rhea the wings seem of
considerable service in the first start and in turning.[37] ...
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_5 Westbourne Grove Terrace, W.
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