Ɛpsilon

To John Murray   10 September [1859]1

Down Bromley Kent

Sept. 10th.

My dear Sir

A friend objected to my title that word “Varieties” ought to stand before “Species”.— Another friend objected (but illogically) that “genera” & “orders” ought to be inserted.— This has led me to think that word “Varieties” had better be altogether omitted. The case of Species is the real important point; & the title, as now, is rather too long.— So if you do not object, I will omit word “Varieties”; but if on any account you do object, I do not care.—2

As it may save you a note, I will assume if I do not hear that I may omit the word. Otherwise in course of week or so, please let me have word “no”.—

Let me thank you again for your last note, & all your very satisfactory arrangements. | My dear Sir | Your’s sincerely | C. Darwin

I have corrected today last proof; but have lots of Revises to look over.—

1
Dated by the discussion of the title of Origin.
2
From CD’s comment, it would appear that the title of his book still included the words ‘An essay on the origin of species and varieties’, as in the proposal previously sent to Charles Lyell and to Murray (see letter to Charles Lyell, 28 March [1859]). CD had been advised to drop the expression ‘Abstract of an essay’ (letter to Charles Lyell, 30 March [1859]) and had decided to include the words ‘or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life’. The published title reads: ‘On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life’.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 (but illogically)] parentheses over commas
1.3 had] after omitted point
3.1 very] interl
3.2 arrangements] ‘ar’ over ‘&’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2488,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2488