Dear Sir,

I have to apolo⁠⟨⁠gise for⁠⟩⁠ not answering your enquiry ⁠⟨⁠about⁠⟩⁠ Canaries, throwing back, I ⁠⟨⁠am⁠⟩⁠ sorry I cannot furnish yo⁠⟨⁠u⁠⟩⁠ any authentic case, thoug⁠⟨⁠h I⁠⟩⁠ do not doubt but such of⁠⟨⁠ten⁠⟩⁠ do occur.²

You express a wish to see some of the latter volu⁠⟨⁠m⁠⟩⁠es of The Cottage Gardener.³ I have ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠s by me ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠w⁠⟩⁠hich ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ lend you ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ but ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ not bound. Should you ⁠⟨⁠wish it⁠⟩⁠ I would ta⁠⟨⁠ke o⁠⟩⁠ff the ⁠⟨⁠adver⁠⟩⁠tisment sheets, and forward ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ as you may direct.

⁠⟨⁠I ha⁠⟩⁠ve just read your work on ⁠⟨⁠the⁠⟩⁠ Origin of Species through a second time, in your chapter on instinct you refer to the Cuck⁠⟨⁠oo⁠⟩⁠ laying in other birds nest⁴ I thought ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ Pige⁠⟨⁠on⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ interested ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ notice that when a ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ lays only a single egg, ⁠⟨⁠and⁠⟩⁠ the first has been broken, or she ⁠⟨⁠has⁠⟩⁠ been much disturbed, she ⁠⟨⁠w⁠⟩⁠ill frequently lay in another’s nest, a case in Point. A Scotch house Tumbler hen was about to lay having built and the cock was driving her to nest; April 24^th. could feel the egg hard and ready to be deposited, toward evening ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠he nest, ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ laid ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ and it ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ with ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ of young ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ different part of the ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ house, I immediately ⁠⟨⁠conc⁠⟩⁠luded she would not lay a se⁠⟨⁠cond⁠⟩⁠, which proved correct. She laid again on the 3^rd & 5^th. of May, sat and hatched a pair, I sat the odd egg under another pair but it did not hatch, I had kept it too long or perhaps it was never fertile—

I am | Dear Sir | Yours respectfully | B P Brent

To C Darwin Esq^e