1 859-] AMERICAN EDITION. 245 



to-day's note is merely personal. I should, for several reasons, 



be very glad of an American Edition. I have made up my 



mind to be well abused ; but I think it of importance that my 



notions should be read by intelligent men, accustomed to 



scientific argument, though not naturalists. It may seem 



absurd, but I think such men will drag after them those 



naturalists who have too firmly fixed in their heads that a 



species is an entity. The first edition of 1250 copies was sold 



on the first day, and now my publisher is printing off, as 



rapidly as possible, 3000 more copies. I mention this solely 



because it renders probable a remunerative sale in America. 



I should be infinitely obliged if you could aid an American 



reprint ; and could make, for my sake and the publisher's, any 



arrangement for any profit. The new edition is only a reprint, 



yet I have made a few important corrections. I will have 



the clean sheets sent over in a few days of as many sheets as 



are printed off, and the remainder afterwards, and you can do 



anything you like, if nothing, there is no harm done. I 



should be glad for the new edition to be reprinted and not the 



old. In great haste, and with hearty thanks, 



Yours very sincerely, 



C. Darwin. 

 I will write soon again. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, 22nd [December, 1859], 

 MY DEAR Lyell, Thanks about " Bears," * a word of ill- 

 omen to me. 



I am too unwell to leave home, so shall not see you. 



I am very glad of your remarks on Hooker, f I have not yet 



* See ' Origin,' ed. i., p. 184. wide botanical experience, and 



f Sir C. Lyell wrote to Sir J. D. think it goes very far to raise the 



Hooker, Dec. 19, 1S59 (' Life,' ii. variety-making hypothesis to the 



p. 327) : " I have just finished the rank of a theory, as accounting for 



reading of your splendid Essay [the the manner in which new species 



' Flora of Australia '] on the origin enter the world." 

 of species, as illustrated by your 



