My dear Sir

Many thanks for all your interesting enclosures & note.¹ Your paper at Zoolog. Soc^y. seems to have been very successful.² I hope that you may be able to prove that your cock is still fertile & the peculiarity hereditary.—³ It is most singular, the increased combativeness, & a good suggestion that of this cock beating others & so propagating its breed; but probability of this of course will depend on some of the offspring inheriting the peculiarity. I think you will find that the feathers on neck of the male G. varius though not hackles differ from those of hen: the other two known species have hackles.—

Until you know positively that your game-cock always produces “Hennies”, the cross between it & a hen Sebright would hardly be fair.— I feared that a hen-tailed Hamburgh Cock would not easily be procured:⁴ I would almost wager that such a cross would bring back the tail.—

The notice on Hares is done by some right good naturalist: the examination of their skulls would be out of my line; though I do want & must go to B. Museum for skulls of the largest & smallest species of Hares.—⁵ You must have a power of clairvoyance; as shown by the offer of examination of skull & skin of the wild fawn-coloured rabbit; so much do I want wild vars. of the rabbit that this very morning I had letter telling me that I sh^d receive in a week a silver-grey from a Norfolk warren.—⁶

I presume I may clean the skull well.— But how can I get particulars about this rabbit, whether it is a breed or a single chance variety; & where it lives, & whether the case is true.— I must take in the Field, & will do so.—⁷

Many thanks for information about the young Pigeons; I shall quote this additional case to the others given by you.—⁸

By the way in my poultry M.S. I have been lately often “taking your name in vain”: many little facts given by you, which I never thought would have come into play, have been very useful. Did you notice in my “Origin”, I say a little on young Pigeons.—⁹

With respect to Herbert on Hybridity. He published an appendix to his Amaryllidaceæ 1837 (a large & expensive Book). Also Journal of Hort. Soc. Vol 2. (1847) p. 1 and p. 81.—¹⁰

I see you describe nostrils as peculiar in Polands; I think this perhaps ought to be figured— Could you procure & send me (by Carrier) a Polish Bird of any Breed. The whole bird might come dead.—¹¹

I sent you order for 10^s for expences,; but I see that I cause you so much loss of time that we must have a settling before I send my M.S. & God knows when that will be done; so many interruptions occur.—¹²

With sincere thanks | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin