My dear Sir

I am much obliged for your article, but I will not delay answering your letter until I have read it, as reading German is slow work for me.—¹ Herr Koch ought to be grateful to you for advertising the book in a Journal with such an extraordinary sale, & I on my part am obliged to you—² What a wide interest you have in Science! When I sent you a copy, I never dreamed that you w^d. care about it, & sent the copy merely to show my regard.— It w^d. be a real pleasure to me to do anything which you wish, for I shall never forget your kindness from the very beginning to the end of the Erasmus Darwin affair.³ I fear that my little book on ‘Vegetable mould’ will hardly answer for your purpose.— The subject is of no importance, but what we English call a hobby-horse of mine, & therefore I have written it. The best plan will be to send you clean sheets, as soon as any are printed, & then you can judge for yourself.—⁴ Ch. II w^d. perhaps be the best on the senses & minds of worms, but then I have given my facts in such detail that I think that anything but a resumé of them w^d. be tiresome.— There are 6 chapters, & the 2 last are geological; ie the bearing of the work of worms on the Denudation of the Land. All the chapters hang together so much & are so lengthy, that I do not believe that any or parts of any w^d. serve to be printed separately— I think, however, I ought to get Victor Carus’ consent & I will write to him to night or tomorrow; & if you do not hear, you will understand that he does not object.—⁵ Herr Koch, I suppose, w^d. approve of the plan: I will tell V. Carus that it is only a thought of yours, & that I wish to do whatever you may decide.—

I am extremely glad to hear about Kosmos. I have as yet read only the capital article by F Müller on the Crab.—⁶ What an observer he is! My son’s (Frank) article looks very nicely got up. He has gone to Strasburg to work for 2 months under De Bary; I have told him of the copy sent him.⁷

My dear Sir, Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

P.S.— I have heard nothing about M^r. Butler, except that he more furious than ever against me. Some English Journals which had intended to review his book, have passed it over in complete silence. It is very handsome of the German orthodox Journal to behave in this manner.⁸