DARWIN'S POULTERER - Poultry Keeping and Breeding & Colour Theory: A Manuscript containing material from Charles Darwin's Mayfair-based Poultry Dealer

Manuscript notebook by a committed poultry breeder, reader and customer of Darwin's poulterer and dealer in live birds, John Baily, with a letter from Baily about 'confinement' of birds. In this fascinating work W Stone keeps copious notes of John Baily's published observations on poultry, most dated to the early 1850s, as well as inserting a letter from Baily and a fine printed broadside advertisement. At the other end of the manuscript is a lengthy fair copy of David Ramsay Hay's study of colour theory. Quarto-sized notebook, half calf over brown marbled boards, lacking backstrip, binding perfectly sound, 1834 fleur de lys watermarked paper. Writing from one end of the manuscript Stone begins with brief notes on 'Baileys Reg.d Poultry Fountain' and one of Baily's published works, The Dorking Fowl. This is followed by 56 pages of legal 'Articles of Agreement' between 'R.B.' and 'E.B.' apparently pre-Victorian. The meat of the manuscript comes in the 'Miscellaneous' section, dated to 1852, which begins with a brief entry on 'Food for silk worms', a series of inserted printed pages on poultry breeding, some annotated, followed by a fine illustrated broadside advertisement for a 'Poultry House' built by Robert Richardson of London (38x23cm, folded across a double spread). In manuscript there follows 'The Poultry-yard by Boswell (review of)' and lengthy commonplace notes, many initialled 'J[ohn] B[aily]' and dated on aspects of poultry manure, breeding, hybrids, 'Descriptive Points &c. Dorking' and other ducks, 'Incubation (Natural and Artificial)', the hatching of 6 emus 'at Knowsley in 1851 by Cautelo's hydro incubator. bought by the Antwerp Zoological Soc.y', 'Sale and Produce of Eggs' and a note of the values achieved by ducks in Dorking. There is a manuscript article from 1839 on the 'Eccaliobion' with the comment 'Dr. P of M. told me that in his country (Wales) they put eggs under ducks in preference.' with around 15 pages of manuscript explanation of Natural Incubation with tipped in steel engravings of incubating chicks which cites various sources including 'Mr [William] Yarrell' (whom Darwin credits in one of his letters for introducing him to Baily) and a section on 'Disease (prevention and cure)'. The letter from Baily to 'W Stone' is written on headed paper, 'Baily 113, Mount Street' and explains a misapprehension on the part of Stone about an article published by Baily on the 'confinement' of foul in London, 'The atmosphere of London is counted not so good as that of the country.' and is signed 'John Baily' with further notes below. Starting from the other end of the manuscript there is a 46 page fair copy of the introduction and first four chapters of the 1838 edition of David Ramsay Hay's The Laws of Harmonious Colouring with hand drawn renderings of the printed diagrams that are interspersed through the text, most showing colour combinations. John Baily is referred to by Darwin in several of his letters; Darwin's accounts reveal that he bought frequently from Baily though he complained about Baily's reluctance to sell Darwin 'dead birds'. Collates: [pp]66 (poultry); [pp]46 (colour theory); [pp]57 (legal) Very Good Please contact Christian White Rare Books Ltd for more information or images of this item.…