To W. D. Fox   28 February [1858]

My dear Fox

I return you with thanks your nephew’s letter: he has forgotten to mention one most important element, viz whether the eggs floated;¹ if you have any communication with him I particularly wish you w^d. ask this question, & tell him to open eggs, as you suggest, if he tries the experiment again. If the eggs do not float or are killed by salt-water it is marvellous how Lizards get on every oceanic island.—

Westwoods Butterflies of Grt Britain 1855, is a beautifully illustrated thin large 8^vo. & I am almost certain costs 15^s; but I cannot find out positively.² Stainton has published vol 1. 12 ^mo. 1857. of his Manual of British Butterflies & moths;³ this 1^st vol. includes Butterflies & “stout-bodied Moths”— it is illustrated with many uncoloured woodcuts, & I believe is very good.—it is very cheap, I think only 4^s, certainly not more than 7^s/.—

Very many thanks about Turkeys;⁴ I shall be delighted if you can succeed in trying the experiment this summer with the young Turkeys; but how on earth will you get a Kite—you speak as if everybody had a live Kite. Oh, perhaps you mean a paper Kite! Thanks, also, for fact about Terriers— Jesse has a very parallel fact about his own Family of Terriers, which grinned & protruded feet when ca-ressed.— I shall try & quote your fact, but, as I before said, I am over facted.—⁵

I have lately some facts given to me by you years ago, about birds carrying away egg-shells very useful, as illustrating small instincts.—⁶

GoodBye my dear Fox— | Yours most truly | C. Darwin