My Dear Sir

I have the pleasure to inform you that the Third Edition of your Origin of Species, printed 1861 is now exhausted.² Will it be agreable to you that I send to press a new Edition, & if so have you any changes to make?—

The demand for the work after 3 Editions is necessarily slow & limited— I w^d therefore propose to print no more than 1250 copies   I propose as before to give you $\frac{2}{3}$ ^d of the profits of the Edition, but I hope that instead of paying you on the publication of the work in consideration of the altered circumstances, you will kindly wait until the sale shall have in part at least, repaid the outlay of paper, printing &c³

When you do me the favor to answer this, I w^d fain hear about your health, wch I sincerely hope has improved since you last did me the favor to write.⁴

I remain My Dear Sir | Your faithful servant | John Murray

Charles Darwin Esq^r