My dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your note² & am much pleased to hear that you are progressing with the breeding experiments.— I shall be very curious to hear next summer whether the crossed fowls are perfectly fertile.³ I believe that I proposed to send you five guineas, which I now beg leave to enclose, as a sum which would probably repay you for actual cost of breeding the crossed fowls.— Will you kindly acknowledge its safe receipt?—⁴

I am much obliged for the “Intellectual Observer” which seems an excellent periodical.— I have read, as yet, only your interesting little paper:⁵ I had not thought about silky plumage, but had said something like what you say about wingless birds in the Origin.⁶

I sh^d. be very much obliged if you would send me paragraphs about the Cats, & please say whether they are to be returned. I am sure that the statement is generally correct.—⁷

I hope you are well & no doubt very busy. I have been having a bad time for many months, but just now am better & am making rather quicker progress than hitherto with my book on “Variation under Domestication”.— But I do not suppose I shall be ready for the M.S on fowls, with your corrections, for six months longer.—⁸

With very sincere thanks for all your kindness— | My dear sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin