Dear Sir,

I ought to have written to thank you for the copy of “Nature” you so kindly sent me before this, allow me to do so now; I am greatly interested in your article although I remain of my old opinion:¹ There are two little facts in connexion with domestic birds I can answer for which perhaps you may like to know; some years ago a blue mongrel pigeon of mine changed the white band over tail for a pale blue one such as many blue pigeons have; & a wild drake I bought young in the spring of 1864 is still flourishing & was the father of some 40 or so young ones which I reared last year for the table, I do not know whether there is anything remarkable in his age, having never read anything about the natural length of life of such birds

With kind regards | Believe me | yrs truly | F B Goodacre