My dear Sir

I must have the pleasure of thanking you for your very kind reception of me, & all the to me really most valuable information, which you gave me. I can assure you it is a long time since I have passed so interesting a morning. But I have, also, an interested motive in writing viz to beg one or two little favours of you; one is to measure for me the length of the upper & lower canine teeth in that very curious skull of the cat: I had intended doing whilst with you, but the amount of interesting talk made me quite forget. I sh^d like to know the length of the white portion, which was uncovered by the gum, & if the tooth is loose in skull the entire length of the tooth & fang.— What coloured cat was it? & was it very large? All fish come to my net in regard to variation, & I never remember hearing of such a case before. Perhaps your shortest way would be to prick me the length with a pair of compasses, & then I could measure the length carefully to the 1100^th of an inch.—²

After being with you I went and ordered some pigeons & brought home two curious Ducks, the hook-billed & tufted.—

I have been thinking that it will give you as you live in country³ much trouble, to send me the less rare breeds of Fowls, & I could get them by payment at M^r Bakers,⁴ but not quite such good birds, as I have no doubt I sh^d. have got from you. But do you think you could aid me in a few of the rarer breeds: would it be asking too great a favour to get you to supplicate the owner of those wonderful black Turkish Fowls at Anerly Show⁵ to take the trouble to send the cock, or even Hen (sh^d one die) to me, addressed “to care of M^r Acton Post Office Bromley Kent.”— And likewise is it in your power to get me a horned Azores Cock? In the course of a year or two some other rare breeds you might possibly hear of, & it would be of the greatest use to me to have the carcases.— You seem so very goodnatured that I think that you will forgive all the many favours which I have asked.

Believe me with very sincere thanks. My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin

When you catch your splendid Victoria Runts, please not forget to look at first flight feather.—

I presume the fresh head of Poland was the white Poland, & can you remember whether the prepared skull, on which I marked with pencil (H.) to show it was a Hen, & which you gave me, was, also, a White Poland?—⁶

I saw & heard so much new to me that my head was quite confused.