Summary

Sends sheets [of the 6th ed. of Origin].

Thanks JVC for his letter about the sheep.

Summary

Thanks JVC for corrections for Descent. Index, which is too full, was hurried at the end.

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

Horns of castrated merino rams remain almost undeveloped.

Summary

Glad to hear of new German edition of Origin. He is revising the English edition, adding a new chapter of "Answers".

No new edition of Descent has appeared.

Would be glad to see a new translation of the Journal of researches, which he revised in 1845.

Comments on white colour of sea-birds.

Summary

Thanks JVC for his corrections. Will send other errata. Hopes to send remainder of vol. 2 [of Descent] in a fortnight.

Summary

The outbreak of war and war work have interfered with JVC’s scientific work.

Publisher does not, however, think the war will hurt success of Descent in Germany, and JVC asks for corrected sheets for his use in translating it.

Wishes struggle between Romanic and Teutonic races could be fought out in a form more appropriate to their cultures and civilisation.

Summary

Sympathetic to JVC’s views on Franco-Prussian war [see 7332].

Astonished at JVC’s readiness to begin work. Will send sheets as soon as possible. Has asked Murray to charge for stereotypes of 64 woodblocks at cost. JVC must make his own agreement with publisher.

Summary

The pages [of Descent] CD wishes to correct are not yet printed.

JVC’s work on the translation has been interrupted by illness.

Summary

CD offers to mark corrected passages in sheets of 6th edition of Origin.

Discusses question of hybrids between goats and sheep, on which H. von Nathusius has cast doubt in his recent Viehzucht [1872]. CD gives several references for a contrary view.

Asks JVC to inquire about HvN’s assertion that castrated rams have no horns.

Summary

Publisher would like to produce a translation of Expression. JVC offers to translate it.

Sends passage from Albertus Magnus on colour of horses.

Offers explanation of white colour of sea-birds.

Schweizerbart is now reprinting Descent, nearly all the first 3000 copies having been sold;

new editions of Origin

and of Variation are also planned.

Possibility of a new German translation of Journal of researches.

Summary

News of progress of German editions of Origin

and Descent.

Asks CD for references on chabius – a Chilean hybrid of goat and sheep.

Summary

CD sends some sheets [of 6th ed. of Origin]. Informs JVC that he is having it stereotyped, so he can never again make any serious alterations. "The little strength left to me shall be employed on new works."

Summary

Asks whether he can start soon on translating Expression.

Thinks CD has gone a little too far on St G. J. Mivart’s objection, which he thinks did very little harm in Germany.

JVC’s history of zoology is finished [Geschichte der Zoologie bis auf Joh. Müller und Charl. Darwin (1872)].

Summary

Sends corrections for French edition of Descent.

Summary

Refers to priest who believes in "our ape-like progenitors".

EH’s work on sponges.

Pangenesis.

Describes new edition of Origin [6th]

and his work on plant crossing.

Summary

Has read in papers about CD’s forthcoming work [Expression]; sends anecdote about a dog visiting a dentist for relief of a toothache – thus showing "moral courage".

Summary

Is astonished at sale [of Descent]. Will make no additions, but must correct a few misprints and errors [for third issue].

Summary

"I have made a serious blunder in p. 297, vol 1 of my book [Descent of man]. Kindly inform me by return of post whether this is printed in Dutch; for if not I will send you a correction in M.S. There are also two short omissions to be made in Vol. 2 … "

Summary

Hopes German edition [of Descent] has not yet been printed because he has fallen into a most serious blunder [about sexual selection never acting on the young] on pp. 297–9 of vol. 1.