Asks CD for reference to the edition of Kosmos that contains the original of Ernst Krause’s article on Dr Erasmus Darwin. There are serious differences between the translation by W. S. Dallas and the Feb [1879] article by Krause on which CD, in the preface to Erasmus Darwin, says it was based. SB notes in particular that the concluding sentence of the translation, which is clearly aimed at [SB’s] Evolution, old and new, is not in the original. Since readers will assume the text of Erasmus Darwin was written before his book appeared, SB asks for an explanation.

Krause altered the MS [of his essay on Erasmus Darwin] considerably before sending it to be translated. This is a common practice, but CD now regrets he did not state in his preface that the article had been modified. The translation had been arranged before SB’s book [Evolution, old and new] was announced.