My dear Sir

I have seen & made enquiries as to the Woodburytype & Heliotype process & expenses & the result is, that for the purpose of book illustration I think the latter has the advantage.¹

From the conversation I had at Edwards & Kidd I imagine, your plates c^d. be done, including paper & print about 3 farthings each & no mounting is required.²

If however you can send up one of your subjects & tell them exactly the scale you require they will give an exact estimate of price, as it will come cheaper, according to the number of copies printed.

We have already despatched the copy of the “Descent” to Loescher of Turin & tomorrow we will send off the copy to Prof^r. Carus of Leipzig.³

As regards the cheap edition of Origin, if it be done, we should like to have it ready for our Trade sale in Nov^r. next.

I am now working out, an estimate for it, to see what it can be sold for & how many must be printed to make it pay.⁴

If I can manage it I will go again to Edwards & Kidd, in the hope of seeing one of the principals, & obtain more information, as I imagine there is the expense of the negatives, extra.

Yours faithfully | Rob^t. Cooke

The “Times” has not injured the sale, it is going on nicely.⁵

C. Darwin Esq