protection from difficulty of birds seizing them. I will probably quote
your case.

No doubt Dr. Hooker collected the Kerguelen moth, for I remember he told me
of the case when I suggested in the "Origin," the explanation of the
coleoptera of Madeira being apterous; but he did not know what had become
of the specimens.

I am quite delighted to hear that you are observing coloured birds (435/4.
"Descent of Man," Edition I., Volume II., page 110.), though the
probability, I suppose, will be that no sure result will be gained. I am
accustomed with my numerous experiments with plants to be well satisfied if
I get any good result in one case out of five.

You will not be able to read all my book--too much detail. Some of the
chapters in the second volume are curious, I think. If any man wants to
gain a good opinion of his fellow-men, he ought to do what I am doing,
pester them with letters.


LETTER 436. TO J. JENNER WEIR.
4, Chester Place, Regent's Park, N.W., March 13th [1868].

You make a very great mistake when you speak of "the risk of your notes
boring me." They are of the utmost value to me, and I am sure I shall
never be tired of receiving them; but I must not be unreasonable. I shall
give almost all the facts which you have mentioned in your two last notes,
as well as in the previous ones; and my only difficulty will be not to give
too much and weary my readers. Your last note is especially valuable about
birds displaying the beautiful parts of their plumage. Audubon (436/1. In