My dear Sir

I have received & thank you most sincerely for the Horse returns: they are very interesting to me, & practically show the proportion of sexes nearly equal.² I am in no hurry, so do the work whenever you have leisure & inclination.— I sh^d be very glad if you will undertake cattle as well as Horses & Dogs.—³ I presume that no materials exist for Sheep.—⁴

I suppose you are too busy a man to try whether a magenta-coloured pigeon would please or disgust his associates.⁵

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I will almost certainly publish your results, so that your labour under a public point of view will not be thrown away.

I returned this morning the Coursing Calendar to Field office—⁶