My dear Sir,

I must trouble you about some business. As the sheets are printed off I want three clean copies sent me; one for Russian translation, a second for a French translation, which Col. Moulinié wishes to prepare ready for the future; and a third for Mess^rs Appleton in America.¹ Hereafter I shall want a fourth set for Germany.² Will you have the kindness, to order the three sets to be sent me as they are successively printed off.

There are 76 woodcuts in my book, 14 of these are from Brehm, & copies cannot be supplied for foreign editions.³ I have told my correspondents that you would supply stereotypes of the remain 62, at a reasonable price a little above the cost of casting.⁴ Please determine & inform me as soon as you conveniently can [what the cost will] be. Will you be so good as to give an order to Mess^rs Clowes⁵ to send these stereotypes as I may hereafter direct, when I will indicate the 14 of which copies must not be sent. M^r Cooke seemed to think that I had made a mistake in promising stereotypes for America; I regret this much but did not anticipate any difficulty, from the experience of my last book, & I have now pledged my word.⁶

I paid Jan 1. 1869 £10.10.9—to Mess^rs Cassell & Co, for Brehm’s beautiful stereotypes, & this sum you can repay me whenever convenient; I enclose the account. (N.B. I sh^d like if no objection the account returned, as it gives list of Pages & volume of Brehm’s Book)⁷

It will be soon time to think about the index, which I have not the heart to make. It will be long. M^r Dallas (Sec. Geolog. Soc^y. Somerset House) would be excellent for the purpose, as nothing could be better than his last.⁸ Will you see him & enter into an agreement; but pray come to a special understanding that he has no other work on hand, so that he will do the clean sheets, which should be sent to him as printed off. The last time he caused nearly a month’s delay. Civilly make him understand that we will put the work at once in someone else’s hands if there is delay.⁹

I hope to complete the book by the end of November. You will soon have to decide the number of copies to be printed off, about which I should like to hear.

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

P.S I enclose mem: about Index.—

Index for M^r Darwin’s Book

To be made on the same plan & principle as that of the “Variation of Domestic Animals”. Namely the names of all persons and Animals mentioned in text & foot notes to be given. Also a fair number of references & cross references to subjects.—