My dear Fox

I have been looking over old letters of yours, & I want to ask a question: but I do so on condition, that you just answer it, at your leisure as briefly as possible.— Dixon says that his Musk Ducks often took to roost & perch on high places or ridge of Barn, or perch along side Hens &c.—¹ I see you used to keep Musk ducks—did you ever observe this or any tendency to lay eggs on high places? Case bears on retention of aboriginal habits— I see in your letter capital case of a cross between white & some other var. of Musk-duck reverting to black & white or aboriginal colour of Musk Duck.—²

Can you give me any authoritive case with exact dates of period of gestation of any breeds of Dog?³ How I wish I knew for instance about Blood Hounds— I suppose no chance of Galton’s knowing; indeed I do not know whether M^r H. Galton is alive.—⁴

Poor Etty has now been in bed for exactly 7 weeks with low fever; but at last, thank God, she is beginning to gain little strength.—⁵

Yours affect. | C. Darwin