My dear Fox

I have received the young Cochin, Call Duck, & Sebright Bantam all safe, for which hearty thanks, & I congratulate you on your horrid work being more than half done.¹ Your deeds are beyond thanks.—

When you have occasion to write again: will you tell me, whether the Sebright Bantam is a single sub-variety; I fancy there are 2 or 3 differently coloured Bantams so called: if so please inform me which kind was parent of the chloroformed infant.— There is going to be a great show of Poultry & Pigeons at end of August at Annerly, which I shall go to.—²

Thank you for extract from Wood:³ I shall get the Book.— I quite agree in probability of what you say about the Breeds of Dogs;⁴ but there are many who would not, & therefore I am anxious to get as many precise facts as I can about crossing, both for this object, & generally for the comparison of mongrels & Hybrids.

The line of argument you put in your note falls without the least impression on some people, as on M^r. Dixon of Poultry notoriety,⁵ who argued stoutly for every variety being an aboriginal creation, & seemed to entirely disregard all the difficulties on the other side.⁶ And difficulties enough there are, as it seems to me, on all possible sides!

I did not know Bewick had written on Dogs;⁷ I will see to it.—

With hearty thanks | Ever yours | C. Darwin

Onion: Rhubarb: Beet & Orache or Atriplex; have all come up after 100 days’ immersion.

(I send. 3 stamps of 6^d. each.)