My dear Sir

I want to beg a little advice from you, if you will give it me when at leisure, if that blessed time ever comes to you. I want to try the following little experiment, viz to get a cock & some Hens of several breeds, which never have red feathers in them; & then let them cross, & their mongrel children cross again & see whether red birds will not appear.²

Now for this I sh^d. keep only birds, which are true to their kinds. Do you think the following list good or would you advise any changes?— I sh^d. have to make away with all my poultry, except two hens.— diag One old Spanish Cock

Silver Poland

Black Rumpless

Silver pencilled Hamburgh

Silver spangled Hamburgh.

1 or 2 White Sussex

Grey Dorking ???

Large White Bantam or Ptarmigan

=7 or 8 Hens & one Cockramme The hens might be this year birds; & need not be good of their kinds if purely bred.—

Would M^r Baker be a good man to apply to & can you give me any idea how much per Bird I sh^d. have to pay for so miscellaneous a lot?³

I sh^d. be very much obliged if you would advise me. I sh^d keep the succeeding year 2 or 3 or 4 mongrel cocks & mongrels Hens from all, & destroy all the old pure Birds, Cocks & Hens.—

Perhaps it would be better to keep my Polish Cock & destroy my present Polish Hen & get one Spanish Hen, so as to avoid too much blackness in the crossed offspring.—

I fear you will think me very troublesome: pray forgive me & believe me | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

In last no^r of Gardeners Chronicle, I have written article on Bees & flowers.⁴