Sent from Edward Nettleship
5 Jan 1910
Description:

‘My dear Pearson,

 

About hair – I enclose 2 little cuttings of the coloured hair from the “spectacle & mark” of one of the Albinos (“Jill” sister of “Jack” the father of your puppies Wee Tong etc.).

I would do them myself if I could but tho. I have a microscope & can look at slides I have now no facilities for staining, using Potash & other reagents or cutting sections.

If you have no-one who can do the job please return the specimen & I will try elsewhere; but if you are in touch with anyone who has done hair work that will be best. I will ask Usher if no one else.

These hairs are cut with scissors from the nasal & temporal end respectively of spectacle mark on or below R. Lower eyelid of Jill. They may have (a) some dirt, (b) some white hairs. These creatures are so jumpy that one has difficulty in getting anywhere near the eyes, even with scissors, without risk.

The 2 samples are enclosed in gummed paper & were cut with scissors whose blades were wet with gum, to prevent scattering. So the paper must be soaked. The gum is unlikely to have any effect on the hair.

I should particularly like to have 1 slide for myself, for reference i[n] future. –

Label – “Hair – R. spectacle mark, albino bitch Jill. 5. 1. 10.”

I have the skin of the Albino puppy that died, minus the spectacle mark region which, with the eyes, has gone for sections to Moorfields.

Would you like to have this skin? I don’t want it & presently shall begin to wish it at [the] bottom of the sea. It is in formaline [sic?] but I could change it to alcohol if sending it to you.

Very many thanks for all your kind wishes; I return them most heartily.

Yours sincerely,

E. Nettleship.

Mrs Biggs[?] is going to keep their puppy in London, & knows of someone in Hazlemere who may take another. A lady friend of ours at Rye, Mrs Dew-Smith is also to have one.’