My dear Sir—

It would give me very great pleasure to come and take lunch with you,— Would Friday or Monday next suit you?—¹

If you do not write I shall conclude the 1^st day (Friday) will, and will come. (I make this suggestion to save you the trouble of writing)—

You were kind enough some time since to send me a photograph,— I do not know whether you care for such examples of variation but I have taken the liberty to enclose you one of myself.—²

I do not see my way clearly to a return of sexes of pigeons—³ As you know, the two eggs usually produce a pair cock and hen.— But it often happens that one receives most food in the first days of life and grows so much more rapidly that it stands up first for food and starves the other—

Now is it not likely that the stronger survivor may be generally a male? and may not this account for the fact that superfluous cocks are more frequent than extra hens— (Although this is not always the case as this spring on matching my birds for the season I had 4 extra hens out of twenty two small pigmy pouters—)—⁴

Odd males are however certainly more frequent than hens, as is proved by their being of less value in the market—

I have got some returns through the Field, which I am tabulating and will forward in due course⁵

Yours very truly | W B Tegetmeier

(C Darwin Esq)