From Francis Galton   12 May 1870

My dear Darwin

Good rabbit news.! One of the latest litters has a white forefoot. It was born April 23^rd. but as we do not disturb the young, the forefoot was not observed till to-day. the little things had huddled together shewing only their backs & heads and the foot was never suspected. The mother was injected from a grey and white and the father from a black and white.

This, recollect, is from a transfusion of only $\frac{1}{8}$th part of alien blood in each parent; now, after many unsuccesful experiments, I have greatly improved the method of operation and am beginning on the other jugulars of my stock.¹ Yesterday I operated on 2 who are doing well to-day & who now have $\frac{1}{3}$^rd. alien blood in their veins. On Saturday I hope for still greater success. and shall go on at any waste of rabbit life, until I get at least $\frac{1}{2}$ alien blood.

The experiment is not fair to Pangenesis until I do.²

We are for the time relieved from anxiety about my poor dear mother,³ who suffered the agonies of death over & over again, but has strangely pulled through. & is now comfortable though very weak and seriously shaken

Very sincerely yours | Francis Galton