Hopes to send last part of his work soon. CD may lay it aside or print only parts of it. Wants to add account of evolutionists before Erasmus Darwin. Superficial account by Samuel Butler makes this necessary.

Has completed his MS and sent it to Dallas.

Has ignored Butler’s criticism of natural selection and corrected only his views of Buffon and Goethe.

It would be best to drop EK’s text from book and quote only certain portions of it.

Has received printed sheets from CD. Hopes CD does not intend to delete anything. EK comments on value of his own sketch for Erasmus Darwin.

Hopes CD can excuse article he wrote in response to a review of Grant Allen’s book [The colour-sense (1879)].

Rejects proposal that CD’s sketch appear as a supplement or appendix to his own. Offers alternative suggestions. Proposes title-page for German edition of Erasmus Darwin.

Regards his part only as material from which CD can select for English edition of Erasmus Darwin.

Regrets dropping comment on Erasmus Darwin’s evolutionary theory.

Asks for translation of British plant names.

Asks CD not to mention in introduction that EK’s part has been reduced.

Acquaintances say principal contents of Seward book should be recounted in German edition of Erasmus Darwin.

Will CD check MS for errors?

Thanks for printed sheets and MS. Intends that German version should follow the English, but will add notes to clarify unfamiliar material for German readers.

Thanks for list of plant names.

Has returned corrected sheets [of Erasmus Darwin] to Dallas. [CD’s note forwards this letter to a third person, presumably W. S. Dallas.]

Sends corrections. Printing of German edition has not yet begun.

Charles Reinwald wishes to print only CD’s sketch. French hostility to Germans the reason.

Gustav Jäger and Robert Caspary no longer on title-page of Kosmos.

Shocked by Karl Alberts’ behaviour in dealing with Murray. Will write to ask him what it means. Thanks for arranging matters with Reinwald.

Thanks for English edition [of Erasmus Darwin]. John Murray has not answered letters of German publisher. Questions CD about persons mentioned in book, in order to annotate German edition.

German edition of Erasmus Darwin will not appear until next year.