Ɛpsilon

To Edwin Lankester, Ray Society   22 July [1851]

Down Farnborough Kent

July 22d

My dear Sir

Many thanks for your note: do not trouble yourself to answer my second one.— As I shall bring up M.S. last day of this month, & as you will keep it a week & proofs never come thick for another week, I shall gain the time wanted for a bit of Anatomy—

I will see that you soon receive Proofs of the 8 Plates now engraved, but not finished off.— I have entirely failed in getting materials for the one coloured Plate which I wished for, so none will be coloured.1 There will be 10 Plates altogether & hereafter I will address you for Council to settle whether I must pay for the extra one or not— The non-colouring will, I hope, save much expence.—

Mr Sowerby comes here tomorrow to complete the drawings for the two Plates not yet engraved.—

Your’s very truly | C. Darwin

Many thanks about Woodcuts.—

1
The original plan for the volume envisaged two coloured plates. This was later reduced to one coloured plate in exchange for an additional non-coloured one. Finally, the difficulty of obtaining the fresh specimens required for the coloured plate before the volume went to press made it necessary to omit printing it in colour (see letter to Edwin Lankester, Ray Society, 30 July [1851]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 another week,] comma over full stop
2.1 engraved] above del ‘done’
2.2 I have] after omitted point

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1444,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1444