From John Murray   18 October [1866]1

50A, Albemarle St. | W.

Oct. 18

My Dear Sir

After publishing for you two such works as the Origin of Species & the Orchids I can have no hesitation in offering at once, even without seeing the MS.S to publish your “Domesticated Animals” on the same terms as I publish the Origin— viz paying you a sum equal to 23 d of the profits—for every edition consistent with the number of copies2

If this be satisfactory to you I shall of course pay Mr Wells Bill, as I have done that of Mr Sowerby—including them in the expences of the works.3

I shall not lose sight of Dr Asa Greys suggestions— I have no objection to let Mess Ticknor & Field know that they can have 250 copies of the new Edition at half price—4

I could supply them either with early sheets of your new Book or with stereotype plates if they prefer them

I remain My Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | John Murray

Chas Darwin Esqr

CD annotations

End of letter: ‘This was [above del ‘shall be’] changed into half-profits, I think’5 pencil
1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to John Murray, 16 October [1866].
2
The works referred to are the first four editions of Origin, Orchids, and Variation. For the terms of CD’s agreement with John Murray for Origin, see the letter from John Murray, 24 February [1866] and n. 4.
3
Murray refers to Luke Wells and George Brettingham Sowerby Jr, both of whom provided illustrations for Variation. See letter to John Murray, 16 October [1866].
4
Ticknor & Fields was a Boston firm that Asa Gray had approached about publishing Origin and Variation (see letter to John Murray, 16 October [1866] and n. 4).
5
Murray later told CD that although he was prepared to publish his new book (Variation), he would offer CD only half the profits rather than two-thirds because he felt he was taking a greater risk in publishing a work that would have less popular appeal than Origin. See Correspondence vol. 15, letter from John Murray, 28 January [1867].

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5246,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5246