Dear Darwin

I certainly objected as strenuously as I could to M^r. Colburn’s loading our already too thick volumes with a pack of advertisements—such as one sees in every Review or monthly Magazine—but there is surely every reason for my wishing that an advertisement of the Zoology which you are bringing out—as well as of your forthcoming Work on Geology—should be attached to some part of the three volumes.¹

M^r. Colburn may not like allowing his publications to be the medium of advertising another Publisher’s works—but—for my part—I should be very glad to see notices of the books mentioned (Zoology & Geology) attached to either one of the three volumes.

I am sure you will agree with me in thinking it desirable to avoid swelling the volumes with ordinary advertisements. King’s is 600 pages—mine is 696—your’s I conclude (with your appendix) to be between 640 and 700, and my appendix is 360.² These with about fifty plates will be tolerably thick volumes. I hope that Gardner has printed off your last plate. He had not done so the middle of last week. The Keeling Islands are reserved for one of your covering boards— In the other I conclude you will put your map.³ I have been intending to call on you these many days but have not had time for the excursion. My only walks lately have been to 35—Essex Street⁴ —Colburn’s & the Printer’s.

Very truly your’s | Rob^t. FitzRoy

P.S. There is something very vacillating & unsatisfactory about B. H— and his Review— He has been very shilly shally and self-contradictory.⁵