Insectivorous plants ready for publication. Asks price. Suggests advertisements in Nature and Gardeners’ Chronicle.

Sorry to hear price of 15s [for Insectivorous plants]. Asks that JM consider 14s. Fears small sale at 15s. It is his fault – he never can help making his books too big.

Fears Variation [2d ed.] will not be ready for Murray’s annual sale unless printer sends proof more quickly. Arrangements with Italian publishers.

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.

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.

Finds Academy contains valuable matter for his work.

Descent progresses slowly – will not be ready for press for several months.

MS of Descent, except last chapter, is ready to send to printer. Hopes the printer will be able to keep him steadily at work correcting proof. "It drives me mad to change from job to job."

Variation is a much better looking volume than Origin due to quality of paper and binding. Hopes JM will attend to this point in Descent. Printers have sent "splendid lot" of proofs.

Wants sheets [of Descent] for foreign editions. Asks JM to determine price to be charged for the stereotypes of 62 cuts. Dallas would be excellent for the index but must be "civilly warned" not to delay. Encloses memo on the index.

CD did not promise Appleton stereotypes of text [of Descent]; only of cuts.

Wishes to know which passage JM thought "coarse". Remembers only a quotation from John Hunter on courtship of female being required "to give her desires" [Descent 1: 273]. He fancied a quotation rendered the sentence less coarse.

Glad to hear Dallas will do index of Descent, but he needs keeping up to the mark. Agrees to a Dutch edition.

He agrees with his family that binding of Variation looks much better than Origin.

Asks JM to report the number of copies he has printed of Naturalist’s Voyage [Journal of researches].

Would like to hear results of JM’s November booksale.

Pleased at [advance] sale [of Descent]. Suggests 3000 copies be printed. Corrections are frightful and, CD fears, will not be done until end of year.

Asks what his profits on the reprints of Descent will be when half have been sold.

Good reviews in Saturday Review and Pall Mall Gazette;

contemptuous one as usual in Athenæum.

Pleased with sum the reprint [of Descent] has produced. Terms of payment accepted.

Thanks JM for Nonconformist [review of Descent, 32 (1871): 240–1].

Would like to see other out-of-way reviews – especially religious.

Other reviews favourable, including Wallace’s [see 7569], which is admirable.