December 21, 1958

Dr. w, Hayes

Department of BacterLology

London Postgraduate Medical School
Ducane Koad, London #12, England

Dear Bill:

Thank you for your letter of the 7th ult. I should have answered
sconer, but have been snowed under with reutine matters, However, ons
of these was a report which may help to answer one of your questions.

The phage experiments that I had had in mind in my earlier letters
were not those bearing on segregation and delay, but those in which the
Hfr parent is"destroyed". You hinted previously that you accepted this
as likely evidence that Hfr functions as an intact cell, rather than as
a donor of an extracellular, extruded, genetic element, and I was curious
what you now thought about it.

Your letter mentions two rumors, which score about 50% in veracity
(not a bad figure as scuttlebutt goes!) To anawer one, The U/W is rather
behind the times, and does not provide sabbatical leaves, at least not
with pay. I should likes very much to visit London, as would Esther, but
we do not presently have either the resources or plans for it.

I have been spending most of my time for the lastvyear on micromani-
pulaticn exercises. I am so much in media res that I would not like to
be pinned down on any details, but I am enclosing an extract from a private
“progress report" that gives the gist of the story, as it stood yesterday.
As you might imagine, the work is extreaely laborious, and not very rewar-
ding in day-to-day details, as the majority of the pedigrees are essentially
uninteresting,

I had intended to answer your letter before the mesting, but had mis-—
remembered this as being scheduled for January. I an trply sorry not to
have been more helpful. In any event, I have no objection to being quoted
verbally, but anything for the printed recotd should, I think, derive only
from published statements. ‘ithout explicit instrdations from you last
spring, I assume you had a similar intent, and for the Symesium at Oak
Ridge, acted accordingly.

Your prospective msthod for studying segregation reminds me of Chlamydomonas,
but for technical reagons I shall be astonished if it works(perhaps this
will be the more provocation!)

You will probably get this after what has been, I hope. a :lerry Christmas,
but at any rate, a happy new year from both of us.

Yours sincerely,