Dear Sir

I have much pleasure in answering your questions as far as I can. My work will be full sized octavo in two vols, each containing, I conjecture, about 500 pages; but the second vol. will be thicker than the first & I hope more interesting.²

There are 42 wood cuts. If you determine on a translation you had better negociate directly with M^r. Murray of Albemarle St London for stereotypes.³ I cannot ask him to give you them gratis as he publishes at his own risk & pays me. I have already the first proofs of 180 pages & I suppose the whole work will be completed in from 4 to 6 months.⁴ The first 6 clean sheets will probably be printed off in 2 or 3 weeks & I will send them to you by post.

I am much obliged for your brother’s memoirs which I have no doubt will interest me:⁵ his assistance will be of great importance to you in the translation.

With respect to an introduction to your edition I really do not know what I could say.⁶ You might yourself state that you received from me early sheets, & that the translation had my concurrence.

When you have occasion to write again, be so kind as to inform me whether there has been a russian translation of my “Origin of Species”;⁷ if not I still think that this would be a better book for you to undertake. I am aware that a russian translation of D^r. Rolle abstract of my views has appeared.⁸

Dear Sir | yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin