From W. S. Dallas   8 April 1868

My dear Sir

I ought to have written to you sooner in answer to your letter of the 30^th. March which was sent here after me,—but I have been trying to hit upon something to suit as a Title & cannot please myself.—¹ My expression “a Lift” was never intended as a serious proposition, but merely as an illustration of the mode in which the title might be arranged, so as to get the translation of the German, & yet reproduce as nearly as possible the form of the German title-page   thus we should have instead of

FÜR DARWIN

A

LIFT

FOR DARWIN—

I think Sir Charles Lyell’s proposition the best of all those mentioned by you & if printed as follows

FACTS

AND ARGUMENTS

FOR DARWIN

or even with the upper lines in smaller type would exactly fulfil my proposal.—² The English printers would no doubt object to the eccentricity of this title page, but then we want to reproduce the eccentricity of Fritz Müller’s own title.— Your second proposition “Facts for Darwin” would answer the same purpose, but would apply equally well to facts in favour of your views or to the hardest possible nuts for you to crack—

I have just translated a long paper by F. Müller in Wiegmann’s Archiv, which will interest you from two sides,—it is on Balani & he winds it up with remarks favourable to your views.—³

Hoping that you are now better, Believe me | Your’s very truly | W. S. Dallas

C. Darwin Esq