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To J. V. Carus   17 June [1877]1

Bassett, Southampton. | (where I shall be for next 2 or 3 weeks).2

June 17th.

My dear Sir

I am heartily glad that your Naples expedition has answered so well for you in every way.—3

My new book is not a long one, viz 350 pages, chiefly of the larger type, with 15 simple wood-cuts. All the proofs are corrected, except the Index, so that it will soon be published.—4 I have sent you the 8 first sheets in two parcels, each of 4 sheets, which you ought to have received ere this.—

I do not suppose that I shall publish any more books, though perhaps a few more papers. I cannot endure being idle, but Heaven knows whether I am capable of any more good work:—

Thanks for erratum, the troublesome printers separated the “a” from the “sexual”, after I had seen the last proof—5

With cordial thanks for your never failing kindness towards me.

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from J. V. Carus, 13 June 1877.
2
CD stayed at William Erasmus Darwin’s house in Bassett, Southampton, from 13 June to 4 July (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
3
Carus had spent three months at the Zoological Station in Naples (see letter from J. V. Carus, 13 June 1877 and n. 4.
4
Forms of flowers was published in July 1877 (Freeman 1977); it was 352 pages long, excluding preliminaries. Carus translated the book and it was published as part of volume 9 of the German edition of CD’s collected works (Carus trans. 1877e).
5
Carus had noted this mistake in Orchids 2d ed., p. 58 (see letter from J. V. Carus, 13 June 1877 and n. 1).

Bibliography

Forms of flowers: The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1877.

Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.

Orchids 2d ed.: The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition, revised. London: John Murray. 1877.

Summary

Forms of flowers will soon be published and is not a long book.

Does not suppose he will publish any more books, "though perhaps a few more papers". He "cannot endure being idle, but Heaven knows whether I am capable of any more good work".

Erratum JVC sent was due to a printer’s error after he had seen last proofs.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-11005
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Julius Victor Carus
Sent from
Bassett
Source of text
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Slg. Darmstaedter Lc 1859: Darwin, Charles, Bl. 166–167)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11005,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11005.xml

letter

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