October 25, 1991

Dear Mr Plant:

Thank you for the letter. It was a pleasure hearing from you again. I was pleased to learn that you have had access to Poultry Breeding and Genetics, if even for only a short time. Thank you for the very positive comments about it. That project seems far distant now, but I still carry some of the fatigue. I have not heard from Miss West in about two years. I suspect that she was made redundant at the British Museum along with many others. I had hoped to try locating her when in England in late August, but I had the flu and had to keep my head down the whole time. I expect that the work on chicken bones from Thailand will reach print sometime, and if it comes to my attention I will send a copy to you.

I have had recent correspondence with George Carter, and had hoped to visit him in Texas in early August but unfortunately he was planning to be elsewhere at that time. He told me that he is now editing a book Sacrificial Birds of the Southwest  that will include solid documentation of pre-Columbian chicken bones in Southern United States. (Hoffmann has sent me the McKusick paper too, many months ago, and have heard nothing from him since). When and if Carter’s book comes available, I will alert you about it. Yes Dr. Hutt was very pleased to see my book in print, and he made some nice comments about it. Sadly, he is now a very ill man, mid-90s, and in a total care nursing home. I understand that he is lucid for only a few moments at a time. Such a pity that a great man like that has to have such an ending.

I have retired now from the University at least partly to allow more time for work on rare breeds conservation, both internationally and at home. I am Vice-Chairman of the new group: Rare Breeds International, and have the secretariat here, along with the secretariat for Canada Branch of World’s Poultry Science Association. I am still teaching part-time, and have a temporary office at the University although I work now mostly at home. I will continue to utilize the University mailing address. Best wishes and much energy in your work.

Yours very truly,

Roy D. Crawford, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus