My dear Sir

I am very much vexed about the proofs of the new edition of “Animals & Plants” but when I wrote to Mess^rs. Clowes & Sons on the subject I was not aware of your wishes.¹

We are continually in the habit of sending out proofs to authors on larger paper, in the form of slips, so that there may be plenty of margin, so that it was not on the score of extra expense that I wrote.

Your works (& we have had just now 3 in hand) have been under my immediate management & I know all about them, but as I may be away when “Animals & Plants” are sent to press, I was afraid by having the proofs sent here on demy 8^vo. paper instead of Crown 8^vo., that in my absence (& as the last edition was on the larger size), a wrong sized paper would be ordered.² It was to avoid a mistake that I asked Clowes to send our proofs on the Crown paper.

But this shall now be all arranged before I go for my holiday, next week, as I will at once give directions about the paper & I shall have a paper not quite so stout as Insectivorous Plants, as the Volumes will average 500 pages each.

You do not say whether Appletons are to have stereotypes of this new edition.³

1500 No will be right of Climbing Plants— a less No will not do with yr name.

Regretting very much the annoyance about the proofs | I am | Faithfully Yours | Rob^t. Cooke

Cha^s. Darwin Esq