My dear Sir

I am much obliged for your long & interesting letter.— I am very glad to hear about the new German Edit. of the Origin; for I am now preparing (& have finished more than half) a new English Edition.—² I have altered the style here & there & made some few corrections & additions. There is one important change, for I have added a new Chapter called “answers to miscellaneous objections to the theory of N. Selection”; in this I give parts taken out of Chapt IV. which will not cause you much trouble; but have added a good many pages of new matter in answer to M^r Mivart’s book the Genesis of Species which has produced a great impression in England, without, as I believe, a sound foundation.³ I have found much of the matter which I added to the last edition, badly arranged & badly written. I suppose I shall begin to print rather soon, & I c^d. send you clean proofs or bundles of perfect clean sheets, according or not as you wished for them very soon.

This work has proved rather heavy, & I have lost nearly 2 months by ill-health, so that I have had to lay aside my expression-essay, & I do not suppose that it will be printed till next spring or summer.⁴ I will let you know when it is ready & I shall be pleased for you to translate it.

With respect to the Descent of Man my publisher has never broken up the type, & consequently I have been able only to make small alterations.⁵ I should like thoroughly to revise the book, but there is no early prospect of this, so that the German edition may be reprinted.⁶ I could also improve somewhat “Variation under Domestication” but I have not strength or time.⁷

I cannot remember whether any right of translation of my Journal was given to D^r Dieffenbach, but I think it was translated before the law was passed.⁸ Could you not tell by looking to the title-page of the German ed.? If you cannot thus find out, I c^d enquire for you from M^r Murray; but whether he could ascertain I do not know.⁹ I shall be pleased to hear that you will translate it, & I think it will answer, for some foreign editions of it have lately appeared or will soon do so, in America, Sweden & France.¹⁰

I think I have now answered all your questions about my books, perhaps at too great length.

Many thanks for your information about the ancient horses, & for yr remarks about white sea-birds. My son tells me that the coast-guard boats in England are always painted white. I hardly see what danger such birds are exposed to. Perhaps they c^d catch fish easier thro’ their colour, yet there are many black fishing birds.

With many thanks for your invariable kindness I remain my dear Sir | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

P.S. My journal of travels was originally published by Colburn & Co 1839. together with Fitz Roy & King’s Voyages, & I imagine it was this volume that was translated by Dieffenbach; I subsequently greatly condensed, added to, & I hope, improved the work, as it is was published (1845) by Murray, & it still goes on selling.¹¹ If I am right in my supposition, I should be very glad to see a new translation in Germany

I am very glad indeed to hear that your health is improved.

If you publish Translation, I daresay Murray w^d supply you at only small profit to himself stereotypes of the four woodcuts in the volume.—