On the strength of CD’s details about his work on species and his knowledge of CD’s former publications, JM offers to publish [Origin] without seeing the MS.

By this post he sends for approval specimen copy of CD’s book [Origin of species]. At 14 s., 1250 copies will yield £240, two-thirds of which will go to author. Arrangements for early copies.

Presents statement of expenses and anticipated profit of the new edition of 3000 copies [of Origin].

Encloses amended note of £372 for third edition of Origin. Provides details of the calculation of profits.

Acknowledges CD’s complaint against a paper [by St George Mivart] in the last Quarterly Review [see 9568]. Agrees to print George Darwin’s answer [see 9596].

Sends sheets of Origin [4th edition] for CD to correct [for 3d German edition?].

Still has 600 copies of Orchids, but deficit reduced to £30.

Undertakes to pay two-thirds of profits of the [fourth] edition of Origin as soon as one-half of the copies are sold.

Asks JM for four copies of his Journal of researches [2d ed.] at wholesale price. Also asks for total number of copies sold.

Asks to be informed whenever more copies of his books are printed, as there may be errors to correct.

Asks how many copies of Origin have been printed "from the first". The number will be "a good puff" when listed in the new edition of Variation.

Thanks for gift [of books requested in 1026]. Sale is a good deal more than he had anticipated.

Asks JM for information on sales of his Journal of researches and to procure for him a copy of the American edition. He is curious to see if the part on slavery has been altered.

Is satisfied with sales of his books.

Did not expect Orchids to sell more than 600 or 700 copies.

Only bad item is Expression, which astonishes him, since it sells well in Germany.

Asks size of printing of Cross and self-fertilisation; thinks 1500 would be ample.

On publishing details for various CD books.

Has no corrections for new issue of Descent [2d ed.].

Questions amount of cheque for profits.

Thanks for accounts which make everything intelligible to him. Since he was glad to have Orchids published at one-half of profits for himself, he believes it would be very shabby to accept JM’s new offer of two-thirds profits. Thinks it would be fairer to both to change to JM’s usual practice with authors [i.e., annual statements of sales, payments based on them, and final accounting when all copies have been sold].

Intends to publish a translation of Ernst Krause’s essay on Dr Erasmus Darwin, with a prefatory notice by himself. Asks JM to decide whether to publish it on commission or on usual two-thirds profit terms. CD incapable of judging chance of its selling.

Though not sanguine about sale [of Erasmus Darwin] it seems fair that if over 1500 copies are sold he should receive two-thirds profit. If JM does not agree, he would prefer publishing on commission or asking Macmillan if they will give him larger profits.

CD’s vexation at the serious printer’s error in his "Geology" [Collected papers 1: 227–50].

Appreciates what Murray and the printer are doing to rectify the error [transposition of pages of text in "Geology"]. But if the responsible person will be fined heavily, CD would want to "make some present".

Asks JM to provide Quarterly Journal of Science with five woodcuts from Climbing plants to illustrate an article, based on that work, by Francis Darwin [see 12462].

Asks advice on size of printing for Movement in plants. Expects it to sell a few copies for some years. Asks price of paper and of printing of 250 copies. Sends instructions for the index.

Thanks JM for copy of Quarterly Review, with article on his worm book [Henry Wace, "Darwin on earthworms", Q. Rev. 153 (1882): 179–202].

Writer will change his mind on evolution. CD cannot think of any young worker in biology who is not convinced of the truth of evolution, though many believe that natural selection has not done much.