To John Murray   4 February [1860]1

Down Bromley Kent

Feb. 4th

My dear Sir

I send M.S.2 which will print on two pages: it might with advantage be printed in smaller type than rest of volume: it will make p. vii & viii of Preface, if you print new Table of Contents, which Table looks so poor.—

I must see proof of these additions on account of proper names;3 but proof shall be returned same day. I do not at all care for corrections given to p. vi of present Preface: it is not worth printing new page.—

I should like one copy of this Reprint just to see it & to give to Mr Sclater who has aided me.—4 If you give it me, please send it to 57 Queen Anne St. W.—5

Please to send immediately a copy of the “Origin” (for German Translator) to

Herr Schweitzerbart6 Buch=Verleger Stuttgart Wurtemburg

Can it be sent by Post without outrageous Postage? Please send it in quickest & best manner.

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

Prof. Asa Gray is going to bring out an Edition of the Origin; so that I believe there will be two Editions in U. States.—7

1
Dated by the reference to a new printing of Journal of researches.
2
CD refers to the manuscript of the corrections for the new edition of Journal of researches (see letters to John Murray, [25 January 1860] and 30 [January 1860]). The corrections were added in a ‘Postscript’, p. vii, dated 1 February 1860.
3
See letter from P. L. Sclater, [3? February 1860]. In the postscript to the preface of Journal of researches (1860), p. vii, CD stated that Strix punctatissima, Pyrocephalus nanus, Otus galapagoensis, and Zenaida galapagoensis, previously believed to be confined to the Galápagos Archipelago, probably also occurred on the mainland.
5
The address is that of CD’s brother, Erasmus Alvey Darwin, with whom he usually stayed when in London.
7
The first printing of Origin in America, published without CD’s authorisation, was issued in mid-January by the publishing firm D. Appleton & Co (see letter from Asa Gray, 23 January 1860). CD sent corrections to Gray that were included in a ‘revised and augmented’ edition published by D. Appleton & Co. in May 1860 (see letter to Asa Gray, 1 February [1860]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.1 but proof … day. 2.2] interl
2.2 corrections] after del ‘corre’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2686,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2686