September 2, 1987

Dear Mr Plant:

Thank you for the note of 18 Aug 87 just received, and for notice that you are sending me your new work on Gallus species. I will very much look forward to receiving it and reading it.

I am greatly embarrassed to have to advise that your file of correspondence and papers has languished on ‘that corner’ of my desk for these many months, awaiting days of great leisure in vain. I did indeed receive your Part 2 - Chicken Bone Recoveries and the Supplement to it, and have scanned both but have not had an opportunity yet to digest them thoroughly. I am preparing now to leave on a two months’ tour of eastern North America to visit authors who are contributing chapters to the book which I am editing. I will be taking your file along with me, and surely will have long hours to myself then to review and consider your work. I hope to include a review of it in my chapter on origin/evolution/diversity in the new book.

As perhaps I told you earlier, I have undertaken the task for the Poultry Science Association of preparing a new reference book on poultry breeding and genetics. It is to be published by Elsevier of Amsterdam, hopefully in 1989 or very soon thereafter. I am serving as editor and also writing some of the chapters. Colleagues internationally are preparing chapters for which they have special expertise. The work is divided into five parts biology, qualitative genetics, immunogenetics/molecular genetics/genetic engineering, quantitative genetics and selection, and applied breeding and selection. It probably will comprise two volumes.

I have had recent correspondence with Barbara A. West, Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD concerning Chinese involvement in origin and dispersal of chickens. In that correspondence I indicated your interests and provided her with your address; you may be hearing from her. I hope that action was alright with you. Hopefully will have critical comments on your work to pass along within a few months.

Best wishes,

R.D. Crawford, Ph.D.,
Professor