In fact, I do not understand your
explanation of the curious order of development of the ornaments of
these birds.
Will you please to tell me whether you are sure that the female
Casuarius (Vol. II., p. 150) sits on her eggs as well as the male?--for,
if I am not mistaken, Bartlett told me that the male alone, who is less
brightly coloured about the neck, sits on the eggs. In Vol. II., p. 255,
you speak of male savages ornamenting themselves more than the women, of
which I have heard before; now, have you any notion whether they do this
to please themselves, or to excite the admiration of their fellow-men,
or to please the women, or, as is perhaps probable, from all three
motives?
Finally, let me congratulate you heartily on having written so excellent
a book, full of thought on all sorts of subjects. Once again, let me
thank you for the very great honour which you have done me by your
dedication.--Believe me, my dear Wallace, yours very sincerely,
CH. DARWIN.
Vol. II., p. 455: When in New Zealand I thought the inhabitants a mixed
race, with the type of Tahiti preponderating over some darker race with
more frizzled hair; and now that the stone instruments [have] revealed
the existence of ancient inhabitants, is it not probable that these
islands were inhabited by true Papuans? Judging from descriptions the
pure Tahitans must differ much from your Papuans.
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