To Rudolf Suchsland 4 April 18661
[Down.]
I have not heard from Mr. Schweizerbart so cannot give a definitive answer to your father; but the more I think on the subject the more I feel that I am bound not in any way to support another edition.2 For this reason alone I am sorry to say that I cannot offer to send clean sheets of the new English edition of the Origin as they are printed off; and the corrections & additions are so numerous that they cd be sent in no other way3
With respect to your enquiry about my other works; in your list you give the same book twice over with different titles.4 My Journal of Researches &c was translated in 1844 into German by Dr. Diefenbach (Viewig & Sons Braunschweig) but the translation was made from the first English edition.5 The 2nd Ed. was considerably condensed & improved & was published under the above title of ‘Journal of Researches’ & has had so very large a sale in English (viz. 10,000 copies) that it might possibly be worth re-translating into German.6 The Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle is a very large book with most expensive illustrations.7 My work on Cirripedia consists of 2 thick Vols with numerous illustrations.8 It is obviously out of the question to think of translating either of these works. My geological works consist of 3 thin Vols, now I believe always sold by Smith & Elder bound together in one thick Vol.9 These consist of ‘The Structure & distribution of Coral Reefs.’ This is a work of some interest, & if my name had formerly been known in Germany and have been worth translation. The other two parts consist of ‘Geological observe. on Volcanic Island’ & ‘Geolog. Observ. on South America.’ My work on the contrivances by which orchids are fertilized has been translated into German—at towards the close of last year I published in the Journal of the Linnean Soc. & separately a little book on the ‘Movements & habits of Climbing Plants,’ of which I send you a copy.10 I cannot suppose that this wd be worth translation, although formerly 2 little books appeared in Germany on this subject,11 & I may add that this treatise has been highly spoken of by Botanists. If it were translated, which I repeat I do not think wd answer, it might be worth while to add Three papers by me published in the Linnean Journal on a very curious subject namely Dimorphism & Trimorphism in plants & which has been a good deal discussed in German scientific periodicals.12
I will write again as soon as I hear from M. Schweizerbart but I have hardly any doubt that he will agree to my proposals—
Believe me dear Sir | yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’: On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula, and on their remarkable sexual relations. By Charles Darwin. [Read 21 November 1861.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 77–96. [Collected papers 2: 45–63.]
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.
Mohl, Hugo von. 1827. Ueber den Bau und das Winden der Ranken und Schlingpflanzen. Tübingen: Heinrich Laupp.
Palm, Ludwig Heinrich. 1827. Ueber das Winden der Pflanzen: eine botanisch-physiologische Abhandlung, welche von der medicinischen Facultät der Universität Tübingen im Jahr 1826 als Preisschrift gekrönt wurde. Tübingen: Christian Richter.
‘Three forms of Lythrum salicaria’: On the sexual relations of the three forms of Lythrum salicaria. By Charles Darwin. [Read 16 June 1864.] Journal of the Linnean Society (Botany) 8 (1865): 169–96. [Collected papers 2: 106–31.]
‘Three sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum’: On the three remarkable sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum, an orchid in the possession of the Linnean Society. By Charles Darwin. [Read 3 April 1862.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 151–7. [Collected papers 2: 63–70.]
Summary
Cannot support another edition of Origin, so unable to send English pages. Suggests some of his other works that might be worth translating into German.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5054F
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Georg Rudolf Emil (Rudolf) Suchsland
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Sotheby’s (dealers) (16 December 2010); Kotte Autographs (dealers) (March 2016)
- Physical description
- LS 5pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5054F,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5054F.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24 (Supplement)