Dear & Honoured Sir

At last I have found time to correct the Origin.² I have compared the sheets of the Third English Edition with the Second which was translated into German, & have marked with a pencil line all the additions & corrections. Some of these additions were sent to you in M.S formerly,³ but as I do not know which, I have marked all. As I am so poor a German scholar, it would take me a long time to compare all, but it will lose you very little time. Where merely a few words have been altered I have underlined them with pencil: where a sentence has to be omitted I have marked “dele”. I also send a few new M.S. additions & corrections.—⁴ You will, perhaps, be surprised at some of the additions, & will think them trifling.; I could of course have amplified many parts, but I have been guided almost solely in enlarging the parts which have been most criticised. I much regret to think that the additions will cause you some trouble: but I very much hope you will add to the load of kindness already conferred on me by looking through the English Sheets & correcting the new German Edition by them. As corrected sheets, cannot go by Post, I send them addressed to you to the care of M^essrs. Schweizerbart, through M^essrs Williams & Norgate.⁵ I must add that some of the M.S. additions to 1^st German Edition, have since been a little modified.

In your very kind letter of March 27^th, you say that M. Scheweizerbart is willing to publish a translation of my Book on Orchids;⁶ but I sh^d. not be easy at his undertaking this until you or some one had read part & had expressed to him whether you thought it worth translation. I am quite doubtful. Will you have the great kindness to read Ch. I & tell M. Sweizerbart what you think. If I do not deceive myself the two last chapters VI & VII are a good deal the best in the Book.⁷ In the hope that you will do this I will send by Post to you in about a week, the first half of volume in sheets. There are 35 wood cuts. With respect to electrotype copies, I have had some little difficulty. M^r. Murray, who publishes at his own risk, demurred rather, & said he thought M. Schweizerbart ought to pay a little more than the mere cost of the copies. M^r. Murray, however, at last agreed: he said the copies on average would cost 5^d each; therefore altogether ^£8:^s15:0.⁸ It would be pleasanter to me, if M. Scheweizerbart would pay a little more, say ^£10, to M^r. Murray. But the cost perhaps will stop his wishing to produce a Translation. When you, or anyone M. Schweizerbart may employ, has read part, or the whole, & has decided, if he would write to me I would get the copies of the woodcuts made.—

The English Edition is printed in much larger type than is necessary. I will soon send the second half of volume, as it will soon be printed. Can you forgive me causing you so much trouble.

With sincere respect | Yours truly obliged | Ch. Darwin