Discusses publication of Descent. Orders copies of vol. 2 sent to Wallace, Mivart, and F. P. Cobbe.

Will attend Athenaeum and vote for RC.

Receipt for payment by John Murray of £630 for the first edition, consisting of 2500 copies, of Descent.

Discusses new edition of Descent.

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 about sale and new issue [of Descent]. Discusses presentation copies.

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.

Is astonished at sale [of Descent]. Will make no additions, but must correct a few misprints and errors [for third issue].

Has this day sent off corrections for new issue [of Descent]. Asks whether title-page may read "Sixth Thousand".

Amount received from 2d issue of Descent now stands at £840. Would be glad to have 2000 more copies printed because he wants time to collect information for a corrected edition.

Has no idea who wrote the Times review [of Descent]. Writer has no knowledge of science and "seems a windbag full of metaphysics & classics".

Asks JM to lend him his copy of 1st edition (1806) of Charles Bell’s Anatomy of expression.

JM should tell him when he wants new cheap edition of Origin, so he can arrange his plans and time.

CD is perplexed about illustrations for Expression, i.e., whether photographs are better than woodcuts. He thinks photographs, but does not know which process is preferable. Asks JM to inquire.

Will require at least six weeks’ notice before a new edition of Descent has to go to press because of considerable corrections needed.

Thinks cheap edition of Origin is needed, since he could answer objections in it.

Asks JM for final decision about a cheap edition of Origin. Would like to begin soon to revise and answer recent objections.

Is disappointed at high price, 7s 6d, being considered for the cheap edition of the Origin [6th ed.]. Has been told that, in Lancashire, workmen club together to buy the Origin.

Little chance that Expression will be done this autumn.

Thanks JM for Quarterly Review. Its "cutting" article [on Descent, 131 (1871): 47–90] is worthy of Mivart’s skill.

Asks JM whether he will publish 750 copies of a pamphlet [Chauncey Wright’s review of Mivart’s Genesis of species, North Am. Rev. 113 (1871): 63–103] at CD’s expense.

Has been ill so cannot say when he will finish new edition of Origin.

Asks about sales and printing of Descent.

Arrangements for distribution and review of pamphlet [Chauncey Wright’s Darwinism: being an examination of Mr St. G. J. Mivart’s "Genesis of species" (1871)], which CD had reprinted at his own expense.

Has been so unwell that he could do absolutely nothing on Origin [6th ed.]. A new chapter seven has cost much labour.

Sorry to hear R. I. Murchison is ill.

Has finished seven chapters of revision of Origin [6th ed.] despite poor health. Asks JM’s opinion on a glossary of scientific terms. Encloses text for advertisement.