My dear Sir

Many thanks for your note.² I shall be very much obliged if you will tabulate the Race-Horses; but I can accept this only on one condition, that you keep a rough memorandum of time consumed (& such work always takes more time than one expects) & have the kindness to tell me what you sh^d think a fair remuneration supposing that you had spent equal time in writing a Review or an account of an exhibition.³ Will you oblige me thus far; I do not think it can be any more disagreeable to you to do this than to write a Review for the Quarterly Journal.—

I trust to your not doing the work in a hurry, & if (as I no doubt shall) publish the results I sh^d like to say that “M^r Tegetmeier has had the kindness to calculate the birth of .... . . from .... . . during the years .... .... …” &c &c &c &c

On same principle & terms will you undertake the Greyhounds; & if so I will not myself tabulate (for I am hard worked) the C. Calendar, but will return it as soon as I have a line from you.—⁴ It w^d. be well not to undertake at once the cattle; for I have an idea that the results on large scale have been published by L^d Spencer or Tessier.—⁵

It would be well to keep each year separate, as well as to give a grand total.

In a month or two’s time w^d do very well; but of course I sh^d like to hear result, as soon as any one animal was finished. You could thus occupy any spare half-days, when you did not happen to have your hands full. Many thanks about Salmon: I will write to M Buist.—⁶

Will you remember & ask about Pigeons; though a general impression could only be thus acquired, & so with fowls. & if possible Ducks.⁷

The whole edit. of my Book of 1500 copies was sold in a week! & a new edit is now printing off.⁸ But the Public will soon find out that it is dull.—

Your works do not require advertising, but I am pleased to think that I shall aid a little this way—⁹

Yours very | sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I shall be in London in beginning of March & we must meet.—¹⁰