Dear Darwin,

In March 1874 my Keeper turned about six very small rabbits about the size of rats, with a ferret from a hole near this house. Four the usual brown and two quite white. I desired the white ones should not be killed. One of them came down in its infancy and established itself on the Lawn, where my wife noticed it, and as she seldom gets beyond the windows it became known as her white rabbit. It seems to bear a charmed life, of course it is not shot, but the terriers chase it, and ferrets in holes are risky, but there it is yet, and much tamer than its brown relations.¹ But it is no longer white. For the last two or three weeks patches of fawn colour have begun near the tail and have crept over most of the snowy coat. It seems to be developing into a hare.

Unfortunately I never saw more of the blackbird which used to fly at the head of any one who went near her nest some years ago— I took care that the young ones should not be disturbed in hope the peculiarity would be inherited but I have never had an attack since—² I hope M^rs Darwins Brodie Columbine have proved a success. Mine are now in full bloom, and I have a pan full of young ones from the same seed I sent her—³

I saw in the Bromley record that D^r. Darwin (I suppose Frank) had contributed to the pleasure of a concert at the School—⁴ We generally conclude here that the School act will treble the cost, and on the whole rather diminish the efficacy of the Schools.⁵ Under the old system (and in that respect no alteration will be made) Scotch Parish Schools gave a good Education to the middle classes—sons of Ministers, farmers and the like, and those of the peasantry who were clever enough, and could stay long enough, to learn higher branches. A small cottar on my land who was employed a good deal as a labourer here has two sons, of whom one has got into a lawyers office as a Clerk, and the other is a pupil teacher. In the same school (though not always with as good results) the Minister’s Sons are prepared for the University of Aberdeen, and those of farmers paying 300^£ or more of rent are taught. But 80 percent of the children go to work or service, and must be neglected. Their Education is infinitely less than we gave the children in our School at Downe.⁶ I hope there may be better examinations than was the custom when it was left to Ministers who had been Schoolmasters themselves, and were satisfied with having questions asked by the master and answered, without question whether any thing was really understood. I doubt if the compulsory system will work well. There are always some depraved families where the children are brought up to steal, swear and other bad things. To their misfortune they were never sent to school. Now they are caught and driven in, but I believe the infection they bring with them is tenfold greater than any good they can be expected to carry off—

I have been betrayed into a sort of essay which I fear will bore you if you read it. I was sorry to see that your son’s station on the Transit expedition met with such unfavourable weather. It must have been a great disappointment to him—⁷

I had intended to have been in England about this time, but my wife’s niece,⁸ who had been here for the winter was called away by a marriage, which is an irresistible call to women, and I could not leave the wife alone—

With our best regards to M^rs. Darwin and your children | Believe me | Faithfully yours | J Brodie Innes