Dear M^r. Darwin.—

I must write a line to thank you for your kind letter in reply to mine.––² The books you recommend I shall certainly procure & read with interest;–– I have myself written a short description of my wanderings in Patagonia which appears this month in print and if you will do me the honour of accepting a copy I shall feel very proud to send you one.³ The work does not comprise the extent of my whole expedition which on leaving Patagonia I carried on up the Rivers Plate Uruguay & Parana.⁴

From Patagonia I brought home some ostriches a gunaco, & from the Rivers Plate, Uruguay, & Parana, a great many animals, comprising some ostriches, a Capybara & a little jaguar.⁵ The mother attacked me & followed me up a tree, in self defence I was obliged to shoot her but saved one of the cubs from the gauchos.–– Since then he has been my almost constant companion following me ab^t. like a dog altho’ of an enormous size being now 2. years old. I only yesterday took him to the Zoological Gardens, much to my regret, but he was growing so big that it was not safe keeping him longer at large. I have mentioned this fact to prove how these animals can be tamed by kindness as completely as a dog.––

With many apologies for thus troubling you | I beg to remain | very faithfully y^rs. | Florence Dixie