Summary

Thanks JVC for correcting his blunder on spelling of "Arrotino" [see Expression, p. 184]. "No Frenchman has a greater tendency to spell all proper names wrongly than I have."

Summary

Sends revision of vol. 1 [of Variation]. Advance sale at auction sold 1200 copies, to CD’s great surprise. Publication delayed by index.

Summary

JVC is having difficulty in translating the names of dogs [in Variation]. Also asks CD for help with names of pigeons.

Summary

Asks CD to decide which translator he would prefer for Variation. JVC frankly thinks Carl Vogt not the best man to introduce CD to the German public, though he has a greater name than JVC.

Vogt now preaches materialism in its most absurd form.

Summary

Thanks JVC for his biography [of CD].

Has almost finished first proofs of Variation.

Has difficulty in answering JVC’s queries about dogs because of differences in German names and breeds. Refers him to A. E. Brehm’s Illustrirtes Thierleben [1868] and, on pigeons, to Gottlob Neumeister’s book [Das Ganze der Taubenzucht (1837)].

Hopes JVC is not discouraged by first volume. Thinks second will be more interesting.

Summary

CD is delighted that JVC will undertake translation of Variation.

Agrees with JVC’s opinion of Haeckel’s book [Generelle Morphologie (1866)]. CD believes it is bad policy for Haeckel to speak so positively about a disputed theory [i.e., CD’s] and particularly regrets the severity of EH’s criticisms of other authors.

Summary

Would be great honour to have CV translate Variation, but Schweizerbart has arranged for J. V. Carus to do it.

Has read CV’s Lectures on man [1864] with extreme interest.

Summary

Answers queries concerning errata in Coral reefs.

All copies of Volcanic islands are sold. Smith, Elder & Co. want to bring out a new edition, but CD is resolved not to look at a single proof.

Summary

Sends first four sheets [of Descent]. Murray charges £14 for the 64 stereotypes.

Cannot supply copies of woodcuts from Brehm’s Illustrirtes Thierleben [1864–9]. Hopes JVC’s publisher will be able to arrange to include them.

Summary

Corrects CD’s spelling of the name of a statue: the Arrotino (spelled "Arretino" by CD) [see Expression, p. 184, on grief-muscles].

Summary

Is not writing prospectus [of Variation] – merely sketch of contents and tenor of first volume for advertisement to booksellers.

Questions on details for the translation.

Publisher anxious to get volume out.

Summary

Reports on very successful sale of Expression in England. Suggests German publisher keep the type set up in case more than the expected 3000 copies are needed.

Has begun work on some old botanical observations [of Drosera for Insectivorous plants].

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

Weisse of Stuttgart is keen to publish a translation of the book on which CD is working [Variation].

Summary

Does not care which photograph is engraved. Hopes to get specimens of Eozoon canadense for J. V. Carus.

Summary

Thanks for errata in Insectivorous plants.

Sends spare copies of his papers, but thinks several are not worth publishing.

Has only one copy, which he will lend JVC, of the best one, on "Erratic boulders of South America" [Collected papers 1: 145–63].

Has not sent "Parallel roads of Glen Roy" [Collected papers 1: 87–137], as he is sure he was wrong.

Summary

Sends CD an English translation of his preface to the revised German edition of Origin and asks his opinion of it.

Asks CD where he might get a specimen of Eozoon.

Summary

Schweizerbart anxious to get Variation sheets for German translation. Hopes he has found a good indexer in W. S. Dallas.

Summary

Struck by singular clarity of EH’s Generelle Morphologie. Remarks on various authors seem too severe. Severity leads the reader to take the side of the attacked person.

Making slow progress in correcting Variation.

Summary

Cites a misprint in Orchids.

Asks how long Forms of flowers will be, and publication date.