LETTER 434. TO J. JENNER WEIR.
Down, February 29th [1868].

I have hardly ever received a note which has interested me more than your
last; and this is no exaggeration. I had a few cases of birds perceiving
slight changes in the dress of their owners, but your facts are of tenfold
value. I shall certainly make use of them, and need not say how much
obliged I should be for any others about which you feel confident.

Do you know of any birds besides some of the gallinaceae which are
polygamous? Do you know of any birds besides pigeons, and, as it is said,
the raven, which pair for their whole lives?

Many years ago I visited your brother, who showed me his pigeons and gave
me some valuable information. Could you persuade him (but I fear he would
think it high treason) to stain a male pigeon some brilliant colour, and
observe whether it excited in the other pigeons, especially the females,
admiration or contempt?

For the chance of your liking to have a copy and being able to find some
parts which would interest you, I have directed Mr. Murray to send you my
recent book on "Variation under Domestication."

P.S.--I have somewhere safe references to cases of magpies, of which one of
a pair has been repeatedly (I think seven times) killed, and yet another
mate was always immediately found. (434/1. On this subject see "Descent
of Man," Edition I., Volume II., page 104, where Mr. Weir's observations
were made use of. This statement is quoted from Jenner ("Phil. Trans."