My dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your kind note & invitation; but my health has been for some time so indifferent that I hardly ever leave home, & a journey to Hastings would fatigue me considerably.¹

I thank you much for your very obliging offer of lending me the Pigeons; but it so long & troublesome a journey to this out of the way village that it is not worth while on the poor Pigeons & my own account to accept your offer; more especially as I shall so soon have a good opportunity of seeing them at the Crystal Palace.² I look forward with much interest to seeing them; for I suspect that they will turn out to be unimproved Barbs; & if so though in the Fanciers eyes of not much value they will be of extreme interest to me.—³ I have now got skins of unimproved Carriers & Tumblers both from Persia & India, & it is most instructive to me to see the changes (& improvements as the Fanciers consider them) which have been produced in these birds.— If they turn out to be original Barbs or any Breed new to me, I will most gratefully accept your offer of a specimen or two after they have bred in the Spring.—

With my very true thanks, I beg leave to remain. | Yours sincerely obliged | Ch. Darwin