My dear Fox

Many thanks for the 7 days old White Dorking & for the other promised ones.—¹ I am getting quite “a chamber of horrors”.² I appreciate your kindness even more than before; for I have done the black deed & murdered an angelic little Fan-tail & Pouter at 10 days old.—

I tried Chloroform & Ether for the first & though evidently a perfectly easy death it was prolonged; & for the second I tried putting lumps of Cyanide of Potassium in a very large damp Bottle, half-an-hour before putting in the Pigeon, & the prussic acid gas thus generated was very quickly fatal.— I find a lump of this substance kept with a little cotton-wool in small wide-mouthed Bottle, excellent for my Boys, who are ardent Lepidopterists: the gas kills quickly, sometimes almost instantly, & they most rarely revive after $\frac{1}{2}$ an hour immersion.—

Thank you for your letter about mongrels; by the way you deserve a good scolding, by ending your letter with “I will spare you anymore”— I can truly say that I never in my life received a letter from you that did not interest me,—& this particular one on the very subjects, which interest me most!!— I am never weary at marvelling with you at heredetary mental habits, tastes &c.—

I wonder whether it would be possible to get precise information on the cross of greyhound with Bull-Dog, whether as you think, there were traces of the Bull-dog, after 8 generations: I sh^d. be extremely glad to get such facts. Can you think of any channel? Do you know in the least who made this cross?³

I suppose & fear that it is quite impossible that you sh^d. have any precise evidence that the Setter is a mongrel,⁴ as likewise the brown Retriever &c. I observe many writers on these subjects will not believe that any mongrel is ever true to its kind.—⁵ I remember when you were here you told me many curious facts about Retrievers &c, &c, which I have written down.—

One more question, to the above point, do you know positively that L^d. Hill’s Dorkings were crossed with the Game, & then fetched high prices as Dorkings?⁶

If I were to apologise, & talk of sparing you, by Jove it would be to the point.—

My dear Fox | Most truly your’s | C. Darwin

This morning Atriplex or Orache seeds germinated after 100 days immersion!—