Encloses reply to Butler [Kosmos 8 (1881): 321–2]. Has also written a reply intended for English reader. Will have it translated for Popular Science Review if CD thinks suitable.

Report of Jäger accident was an error.

Kosmos has been purchased by Eduard Koch in Stuttgart and will continue as in the past.

CD regrets that he feels large parts of Krause’s essay [on Erasmus Darwin] must be omitted. Gives his criticisms and his plan for condensed publication of his own article, with only parts of EK’s. If EK is unwilling to change, CD will publish his article privately. It is manifest that EK can publish his essay in its extended form in Germany if he wishes to do so.

Glad to receive the German edition of Erasmus Darwin. Hopes sales will be good. Favourable review has appeared in the United States, in the Nation.

Profit on Erasmus Darwin is £9 15s 5d. Sends cheque. 218 copies remain unsold.

All his advisers agree that CD ought not to take notice of Butler’s attack.

F. M. Balfour has offered to translate EK’s reply to Butler and to send it to Nature. [The letter was published in Nature 23 (1881): 288.]

As editor of the new journal, Kosmos, thanks CD for the permission he has granted Ernst Haeckel to publish with CD’s approval.

Cites his long support for evolution as exemplified by his book [Die botanische Systematik in ihrem Verhältniss zur Morphologie (1866)].

CD has many German supporters.

Asks permission to print translation of "A biographical sketch of an infant" [Collected papers 2: 191–200] in Kosmos.

Notes divisions among German Darwinists.

Thanks CD for permission to print ["Sketch of an infant"] in Kosmos.

Discusses children’s ability to distinguish colours.

Describes disagreements among German supporters of CD. Discusses reaction of German protestants to Darwinism.

Birthday greetings.

Glad CD is pleased by his "Erasmus Darwin". Was not able to obtain book by Anna Seward [Memoirs of the life of Dr Darwin (1804)]. Could CD check relevant passages for errors? Would be great honour if CD could arrange English translation. Wants to enlarge essay into book.

Had doubts about excerpt from Anna Seward’s book [Life of Dr Darwin]. Sends slightly enlarged version of his "Erasmus Darwin". Includes footnote denouncing Seward’s book.

Finds that part 2 of ED’s Botanic garden, 2d ed. (1790), appeared before part 1 (1791).

Thanks for sketch of Erasmus Darwin by John Dowson [see Erasmus Darwin, p. iv]; would like to incorporate this information into MS. Previous biographers of Erasmus Darwin had insufficient knowledge of what appeared in his works.

Wants to finish revision of MS on Erasmus Darwin before Dallas begins translation. Has discussed possible German edition with Carl Alberts.

Sends first part of MS of Erasmus Darwin.

Has found useful criticism of Anna Seward in J. G. Lockhart’s Life of Sir Walter Scott.

CD should regard MS as a draft and correct anything that seems incorrect or questionable. Asks biographical questions about Dr Darwin. Can CD give information about origin of family name?

Will wait for CD’s preliminary essay before proceeding with German edition [of Erasmus Darwin]. Regards CD’s essay as the principal attraction. Would like to finish German edition by end of July.

Thanks for answers to questions [in 12032].

Has ordered the new book by Butler [Evolution, old and new (1879)]. It may make EK’s own essay superfluous.

Samuel Butler seems not even to have read works of Erasmus Darwin. Quotes only passages quoted by other authors. Thorough account now more necessary than ever.

CD’s preliminary notice should be incorporated in German edition completely unchanged, though some annotation is needed to explain matters unfamiliar to German readers.

Would like to have article by CD for Kosmos.

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)].