Ɛpsilon

From R. F. Cooke   23 November 1877

50A, Albemarle Street, London, W.

Nov 23 1877

My dear Sir

We are now going to print off 2000 copies of the “Origin of Species” to enable us to complete the orders we have received, as we have only about 130 copies in stock.1

Have you any corrections?

We also find that our friends Messrs. Clowes have kept up in type, all this long time, the following works of yours

Cross & Self-Fertilization

Orchids

Forms of Flowers

& we must now release their type.2

But Mr Murray thinks the charge for stereotyping is not very burdensome that we had better do so, in case reprints may be required.

Therefore if you have no objection we will do so, & in this case perhaps you will send any corrections you may have by you for each work, so that they may be embodied.

We have read recent doings at Cambridge with much pleasure3

Yours faithfully | Robt. Cooke

Chas. Darwin Esq L.L.D.

2
William Clowes & Sons were John Murray’s usual printers. Cross and self fertilisation was published in 1876, Orchids 2d ed. in January 1877 (Publishers’ Circular, 1 February 1877, p. 93), and Forms of flowers in July 1877 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
3
CD had been awarded an honorary LLD degree at Cambridge on 17 November 1877. The event was widely reported, including in the Daily News, 19 November 1877, p. 6, and The Times, 20 November 1877, p. 6.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11250,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11250