From W. S. Dallas   19 September 1879

Dear M^r. Darwin

Many thanks for the proof, which I will keep, as you suggest, until D^r. Krause returns the one I have sent to him.—¹ I called his attention to the passage on p. 171,— my note upon it was not intended to be printed, but only in order that the question might not be lost sight of.— Your suggested alteration makes all right,— we shall see what he proposes.—²

I notice that a little quotation from the “Botanic Garden” is considerably altered,— there must be some difference in the editions, & yet I thought the copy which I borrowed from the Linnean Society was the second.—³ The additional words “and adds” inserted in a subsequent page were in my MS. but seem to have been struck out by somebody as unnecessary, & the cancelling line afterwards smudged as if to rub it out, but the printers have taken it as cancelled.—

Would not the title of this translated part of your book read better:–

The Scientific Labours

of

Erasmus Darwin.–?

I think there is a better word than either works or labours but I can’t hit upon it.—⁴

Believe me | Yours very truly | W. S. Dallas