To J. V. Carus   8 March [1874]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

March 8th

My dear Sir

I write one line to say that as far as we can see forwards we shall be at home in the beginning of August, & if that time is more convenient to you I hope that you will then come here.—2 I write also to say on the part of my wife & self that we hope that Mrs Carus & your daughters will pay us a visit at the same time.3

I am going this day to send sheets of Vol I & M.S of the Descent to Printers.—4

New Edit of Coral Reefs half-printed.5

Yours very sincerely | Ch Darwin

1
The year is established by the date that copies of Coral reefs 2d ed. were available (see n. 5, below).
2
CD had invited Carus to visit him (see letter to J. V. Carus, 21 January 1874); evidently Carus suggested early August in his reply, which has not been found. Carus was going to lecture at the University of Edinburgh for the summer session (see letter from J. V. Carus, 19 January 1874).
3
Sophie Catherine Carus was Carus’s wife, and his three daughters were Agnes Marie Elisabeth, Anna Sophie Gertrud, and Louise Charlotte Johanna Carus.
4
The first edition of Descent had been published in two volumes; Descent 2d ed. was published as a single volume.
5
George Howard Darwin received a copy of Coral reefs 2d ed. in late May 1874 (see letter from G. H. Darwin, 30 May 1874); the publication of the work was recorded in Publishers’ circular, 1 July 1874.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9340,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9340