My Dear Sir

The understanding between us as to the publication of your works, is as you rightly state that I pay you at the rate of two thirds of the profits of every Edition.²

As however you desired to be paid before the Editions are sold off, it is to a certain extent a matter of Estimate to calculate the exact amount of profit

It may thus have happened that where all the copies of an Edⁿ. were sold my share may have a little exceeded the exact amount of $\frac{1}{3}$^d.—

To enable you however better to judge of this I send you the accounts in detail of the cost & produce of

The Forms of Flowers—

The Descent of Man—

upon wch my estimates of payment for those two books were founded.

By comparing the two you will perceive how it comes about that the Authors profits on each are nearly identical in amount. If in future you w^d consent to receive annual statements of the sale of your books the payments w^d be made to you in proportion to the rate of sale & every copy w^d be accounted for when all were sold. This is my usual practice with Authors & admits of no uncertainty—

I will beg your attention to the account of Insectivorous Plants—as an example of the opposite side of the question— In this case having paid you in advance & according to estimate £560" I am a gainer down to the present time of not quite £100"—!³

I hope you do not regret ceding to me $\frac{1}{2}$ the Profits of “Orchids” considering how despondent you were at the outset of the Success of that work—wch indeed took eleven years to run off, but if you are I beg to say that in the next Edition I am willing to place it on the footing of your other works & as soon as the sale shall have paid the outlay will give you $\frac{2}{3}$^ds profits⁴

I remain My Dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | John Murray

Chas Darwin Esq^r