My dear Fox

You did not give me time in your last letter, in order to see about your commissions, then write to you & wait for an answer: accordingly I have been obliged to act to the best in my power, & the imperfections must be supplied next October: I booked & sent of per waggon, a portmanteau & deal box yesterday, containing I hope & trust every thing except your skins of birds & prints; Pulleine had left such imperfect directions with Aiken that we did not know yours from his: & we agreed that they had better be kept in my rooms till either Pulleine or you could see them: they are all safely packed up together with the ring Owzel: the other skins I have sent with the boxes (but one of the terns was too far gone). About the prints I thought they would go better some other time than with the boxes & tea chests.—

You will find all the Keys in the deal box, which I had well nailed up & corded: & now for money matters;¹

£ s d. Clayton 2 "  7 "  8² Baker 2 "  3 Brett 10 "  6 Dos for plate "  "  16 " —————

"  5 "  17 "  6 Paid for you for skins s & &c &c "  "  15 " Debt. 2 "

£ 2 "  15

£ 5 "  17 "  6 —————

"  8 "  12 "  6

Accordingly I have paid for you altogether, 8^£"12"6 & as you sent me 10£, I owe you, 1^£"7"6, which I will pay you when I see you in the Summer I have got all the receipts safe in Cambridge:—

The man from whom you bought poor little Fan told me he saw the other day in Bedfordshire, in very good keep & a very great favourite under such circumstances, I thought it better to leave her where she was.—

So much for your affairs. I am afraid I have executed them imper⁠⟨⁠fect⁠⟩⁠ly but it is to the best of my power.—

And now for myself. I leave Cambridge tomorrow morning, for London—& on Tuesday I go to Shrewsbury, from thence I go into Wales with M^r. Hope to Entomologize. I will write to you again, whilst on our expedition: my success has been very splendid in the science, as you will say, when you next see my insects. I will write soon again. Yours affectionately | Chas. Darwin