My dear George

I have got to prepare a new ed. of the Descent, & in order to save my time I have been enquiring about literary & scientific men who w^d undertake the work specified below—¹

Before settling with any one I have thought that I wd inform you, as your mother thought that possibly you w^d like to undertake it; that is if your health & other occupations permit you.² I shd like your assistance better than that of any one; but I sh^d be greatly vexed if you undertook it against your better judgment.

It will be a tedious job. I shall have to modify & add much. Now I wish to write without the least care of style, attending only to the sense, & to have the words & arrangement of my sentences (when copied out) corrected. The whole book w^d have to be gone through, on account of little corrections here & there inserted, which w^d all require some consideration in regard to style & to what goes before & comes after. The book has been so often corrected that I do not think it likely that many of the old sentences are faulty. The numerical references to the foot-notes & wood-cuts w^d have to be corrected, as new ones will be introduced. If the pages get altered the Headings will have to be attended to. I w^d just glance over any corrections to my additions, & then send the whole to press, & I wish not to see the proof sheets, but have them corrected for me. I apprehend there wd only rarely be occasion for second proofs— So you see it is a considerable job, & take 2 or 3 days before you decide—

The whole work w^d be far more satisfactory to me if you will let me pay you. M^r Bates³ who does such work tells me that 30 guineas wd be fair payment for correcting the book if it were a new one; there will be less labour as it is old in one way, & more on account of the additions, & therefore I shd like to pay 40 g^s.

If you agree, keep this letter as a mem of what is to be done yours affectionately | Ch. Darwin