From E. B. Tylor   21 June 1880

My dear Sir

It fits with your remarks about birds and telegraph wires, that a New Zealand colonist whom I asked about sheep and poison-plants offered me as more satisfactory for my purpose his experience of the first setting up of a telegraph, when at first numbers of birds were killed against the wires, but from the second year none.¹ This will answer my purpose as an illustration, and I will not trouble you further about sheep & poisonous plants. But so far as I learn from my friend M^r W. A. Sanford the geologist, who was in Australia, the sheep there (in the West) rush on the bright green poison-pea, and in a few minutes the whole flock begin to whirl round & then fall dead, so that there are really no survivors to benefit by the experience.²

With many thanks for your kindly looking into your evidence for me

I am | Yours very sincerely | Edward B. Tylor

Charles Darwin Esq