My Dear Sir,

You must think me a nuisance, but I have so much at heart that you are intimately concerned with that you must forgive me. You get the “Midland Naturalist” so that I know you are familiar with our “Union”. We (Management Committee have just decided to establish a prize for local observations in every of our departments of an original character and we want to call it the “Charles Darwin Prize”.² M^r E. W. Badger our Secretary will write you formally and I hope you will consent.³ A Medal will be struck with your portrait.

We are further encouraging original research by running a fund from which we have already granted £150 a year to D^r. George Gore F.R.S. for the continuance of his researches.⁴ This is by the Bmg^ham Philosoph. Soc. Knowing that you are interested in such a work, that a contribution from you would have its value multiplied tenfold by its source, guessing that you may be able to give and would like to do it, will you forgive me for begging. My own donation is £2.2 a year for 10 years & they go up to hundreds⁵

Yours truly, | Lawson Tait.

Please in your reply to M^r. Badger do not mention my having written to you