To W. B. Tegetmeier   30 August [1856]¹

My dear Sir

I received the Victoria Runt all safe & fresh, & very much obliged I am for it.—² I did not write to thank you for it, as I knew I sh^d. have to write soon about the Scanderoons. They left the nest a few days ago, & I will send them off on Wednesday night the 10^th, so that they will arrive about 10 oclock on Thursday 11^th.—

Many thanks for your offer of dead Turbits & Trumpeters, but I have both.— If you want any other kinds, (alive) please tell me that I may see whether I can supply you.— But I may be prevented as I am crossing all my kinds to see whether crosses are fertile & for the fun of seeing what sort of creatures appear.— I much doubt, indeed disbelieve, that there can be any general law about colours &c for different species, even if there be for varieties of same species. A M^r Orton has lately published some lectures with old theory of externals following males & internals female.—³

I fear (but do not know) that both Laughers are males: The one has shed very many of its dark feathers & is much whiter now.— That is a curious remark of yours about pencilling appearing in cross-bred fowls.— How gets on your paper on Fowl’s skulls?⁴ I ask because this morning I had a letter from M^r Eyton of Eyton, who has grand collection of skeletons of Birds (& who has published on pig’s skeletons) & he says he has been making skeletons of Hamburgh & Dorking & “will send me some notes”. I mention this that you may not be forestalled. I did not know that he was at work on Poultry; though I knew he was on dogs. I wrote to M^r Adkins⁵ & had a very obliging answer but no accurate information.—

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

Do you ever see M^r Gulliver;⁶ if so I wish you w^d. say how glad to sh^d be to have one of his gigantic Runts dead.—