Summary

Looks forward to a visit from JVC and family in August.

Sheets of vol. 1 of Descent [2d ed.] are going to printer;

new edition of Coral reefs is half printed.

Summary

Will soon send remaining sheets [of Descent, 2d English ed.]. Fears JVC’s errata have come too late for printing.

His new work [Insectivorous plants] will make a rather big book.

Summary

Thanks JVC for corrections in Insectivorous plants. Explains confusion of fluid and dry measures. The work has sold well in England.

Repeats suggestion that JVC employ someone to translate Climbing plants under his supervision.

Summary

JVC’s publisher [Schweizerbart] must decide soon how many copies of two maps in Volcanic islands and South America are needed.

Has sent new edition of Orchids – greatly altered, but he hopes improved.

Summary

Thanks JVC for correcting a bad blunder in Forms of flowers.

His health fairly good; has been able to work "pretty hard".

Summary

Thanks JVC for corrections of Movement in plants. Sends a clarifying sentence.

Earthworms nearly done – "a small book of little moment".

Reports his health is better than it was, "but I have little strength & feel very old".

Summary

Reassures JVC [who had received the impression that CD would prefer Carl Vogt as translator of Variation].

CD surprised at receipt of an application for a Russian translation.

Summary

His book [Descent] will not be ready for a year because of his health and the laboriousness of work on sexual selection. Has deferred arrangements for German translation, but would feel secure with JVC. Carl Vogt has offered to translate it.

Summary

Thanks JVC for his criticisms and corrections of Expression. Asks him to alter his translation accordingly.

Summary

Regrets he cannot receive JVC at Down on Monday as he would then be too unwell to travel on Tuesday, when he must leave for a visit [to Abinger Hall, according to the Journal].

Has been working hard on Drosera and Dionaea. His next book will be on these plants and not, as he had intended, "On evil effects of Inter breeding".

Summary

Is glad to hear of new German edition of Descent, but owing to his extensive revisions, corrected sheets will not be ready for about three months.

Is working on a new edition of Coral reefs, which he thinks would sell in Germany.

Would like to hear "out of curiosity & vanity" how many copies of his books have been sold in Germany.

Summary

Descent [2d English ed.] will not be published until November. Will send JVC first sheet of revised proofs soon.

Pleased to hear of success of JVC’s lectures.

Summer plans have changed. Does not yet know when he will take a month’s holiday.

Summary

Asks JVC if he can provide introductions in Leipzig and Dresden for his son George.

Has not yet received any revised sheets of Descent [2d English ed.].

Summary

Sends first sheets of Cross and self fertilisation. The book is a very dull record of experiments, but nevertheless CD believes it is valuable for its remarkable and well-established results.

Orchids [2d ed.] will soon go to the printer.

Summary

Corrections for Descent. Has sold 6500 copies in England.

Has finished rough draft of Expression, but will put it aside for the summer.

Will refresh himself with some curious observations on the response of plants to certain stimuli.

Summary

Will consider JVC’s comments on Expression when he prepares a new edition.

Summary

Advises JVC on how his publisher might deal with problem of getting satisfactory heliotype copies for 2d [German] edition of Expression.

Regrets that he will again be away in August, when JVC might have come for a visit.

Summary

Pleased JVC likes Journal of researches. Responds to his queries and thanks him for conscientiousness as a translator.

Insectivorous plants is so large that Murray will publish Climbing plants as a separate little book. Hopes Insectivorous plants is worth translating.

Summary

Expresses gratification that JVC is to undertake new translation and revision of German edition of the Origin.

Has heard many complaints about Bronn’s translation. JVC would be justified in omitting Bronn’s appendix.

Suggests additions and changes, including reference to C. W. v. Nägeli’s Entstehung und Begriff [1865], though he disagrees with it.

Summary

Had found out his error [use of "cleistogenous" for "cleistogamous" in Cross and self-fertilisation] some timeago.

Is now writing on cleistogamic flowers [for Forms of flowers (1877)], and, with it, will have worked up all his old materials on plants. JVC will then have a rest from his labours of translation.