June 1, 1977

Dear Mr Plant,

Please forgive me for delaying so long to answer to your nice letter with photocopies and beautiful stamps. I have been involved with many things all at once, birthdays, a wedding, a graduation and a funeral. The days have just slipped away.

About the Chinese pictures, yes, we had their archaeological exhibit here in San Francisco, and I went to it and bought a catalogue. But you scooped me with your sharp eye for the chicken head reproduction on the jar. I shall keep your drawing and the photocopy with my Chicken in Art collection. And thank you very much for both.

In a few minutes I shall be looking at the first of the many TV presentations of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. This will be the one at the Opera house, with the Ballet. I’m sure you are having it too. Perhaps we are fellows Anglophiles? My father was Anglo-Irish, came to Canada and then to the US but always kept his British nationality. Generations back the family was from Tiverton in Devon.

Please let me know if you find out anything about Cochin Bantams in existence in China or Japan before 1860. If you don’t hear from Peking, try the Librarian at the University of Tokyo. That’s all the address you need, and I have found them very helpful.

Sincerely,