Summary

Thanks for gift [of books requested in 1026]. Sale is a good deal more than he had anticipated.

Summary

Apologises for the annoyance caused about the size of proof paper. Clears up misunderstanding. As for Climbing plants, RC thinks no less than 1500 copies of a book by CD should be printed.

Summary

Hopes JM’s friend will give his judgment [on Variation] soon; and urges JM to come to a decision about publishing. CD believes it will have "a fair sale".

Summary

Sends list for complimentary copies and suggests various arrangements related to publication of Climbing plants.

Thinks a revised edition of Orchids is needed.

Summary

Sends Dallas’ specimen of indexing [for Variation].

Asks CD’s opinion of likelihood of a hybrid of ass and bull, reported in a MS of a journey to Asia Minor he is reading.

Summary

Two parcels of MS [of Variation] have arrived. Will proceed with printing immediately after Christmas.

Summary

Has sent off last proof of 2d ed. of Origin. Assumes JM has remembered the diagram. Asks that remaining clean sheets be sent to Asa Gray.

Summary

Acknowledges receipt of bill for £420.

Will try to attend Athenaeum meeting to help elect Clowes’s son.

Summary

Sorry about enormous size of Variation MS, but cannot shorten it now. If JM is afraid to publish, CD will consider agreement cancelled. Suggests he ask someone with judgment to read the MS. Has written concluding chapter on man. Whether it will be included depends on size of volume.

Summary

JM expresses his willingness to publish a new edition of Variation whenever CD revises it.

Descent [2d ed.] has not sold much since the annual sale – 1300 copies altogether.

Summary

Thanks JM for granting his request. Will write to D. Appleton.

CD is sorry about heavy loss from Expression; still thinks the book will sell in the course of years.

Summary

Asks how soon he must send proofs [of Origin, 3d ed.] to printer. His corrections would not take more than three weeks. The longest job will be to glance over the endless reviews to guide him in his corrections.

Summary

JM sends note for £420.

Asks CD to use his good offices on behalf of William Clowes’s son who is up for election to Athenaeum.

Summary

Asks JM whether he will publish 750 copies of a pamphlet [Chauncey Wright’s review of Mivart’s Genesis of species, North Am. Rev. 113 (1871): 63–103] at CD’s expense.

Has been ill so cannot say when he will finish new edition of Origin.

Asks about sales and printing of Descent.

Summary

Asks JM to send copies of all his books to Anton Dohrn.

Koch [of Schweizerbart] requires 3000 sets of copies of the heliotype plates [for German edition of Expression].

Summary

Pleased to hear that Colburn has behaved more liberally than CD anticipated. Three numbers of the Colonial Library, each of 171 pages, will hold his Journal of researches. Accepts financial arrangements for its publication offered by JM.

Summary

Thanks JM for presentation copies [of Variation]. Sends directions and list.

Has been told positively that hostile review in Athenæum was by Berthold Seemann, to whom he once refused a testimonial.

On the whole, reviews have been very good.

Summary

Heartily glad for JM’s sake at sale [of Variation]. Thinks JM right to publish a smaller second edition, for "the public will soon find out that it is dull" – though scientifically valuable. The index is excellent. CD is "always greedy" for presentation copies.

Summary

Amount received from 2d issue of Descent now stands at £840. Would be glad to have 2000 more copies printed because he wants time to collect information for a corrected edition.

Summary

Making slow progress with Variation.