Dear Sir

I have now returned home.¹ The single gosling, which survived from the first set of eggs, is a very fine bird & is pronounced by a man who attends geese, certainly to be a gander.— The sexes of the 3 goslings of the 2^d hatch, also very fine birds, cannot be distinguished as yet.— Now will you be so good as to inform me what I had better do with the whole lot, for I am not willing to keep them any longer from the reasons formerly assigned, & in addition because the gander pursues and frightens a little grandchild who lives with us.—²

Shall the birds be all returned to you, or shall I send some or all to D^r.  Meadows? In the latter case would they reach D^r. Meadows’ house quickly by rail so as not to suffer for want of food & water?³

Further will you permit me to ask whether you intend to publish the result of your trials in any scientific Journal; for if you do not intend to do so, I sh^d. much wish to publish a mere note in the Proc. of the Zoolog. Soc.—⁴

Again thanking you very sincerely for all your kind assistance, I remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

Any of the birds not returned to you or D^r Medows will be cooked & eaten by us, as soon as old enough, which I believe will be next month.— I mention this solely to show that you may freely dispose of the whole lot.