270 THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [i860. 



sentences) and to use all my strength, which is but little, to 

 bring out the first part (forming a separate volume, with 

 index, &c.) of the three volumes which will make my bigger 

 work ; so that I am very unwilling to take up time in making 

 corrections for an American edition. I enclose a list of a few 

 corrections in the second reprint, which you will have received 

 by this time complete, and I could send four or five corrections 

 or additions of equally small importance, or rather of equal 

 brevity. I also intend to write a short preface with a brief 

 history of the subject. These I will set about, as they must 

 some day be done, and I will send them to you in a short time 

 the few corrections first, and the preface afterwards, unless 

 I hear that you have given up all idea of a separate edition. 

 You will then be able to judge whether it is worth having 

 the new edition with your reviezu prefixed. Whatever be the 

 nature of your review, I assure you I should feel it a great 

 honour to have my book thus preceded 



Asa Gray to C. Darwin. 



Cambridge, January 23rd, i860. 



MY DEAR DARWIN, You have my hurried letter telling 

 you of the arrival of the remainder of the sheets of the reprint, 

 and of the stir I had made for a reprint in Boston. Well, all 

 looked pretty well, when, lo, we found that a second New 

 York publishing house had announced a reprint also! I wrote 

 then to both New York publishers, asking them to give way 

 to the author and his reprint of a revised edition. I got 

 an answer from the Harpers that they withdraw from the 

 Appletons that they had got the book out (and the next day 

 I saw a copy) ; but that, " if the work should have any con- 

 siderable sale, we certainly shall be disposed to pay the 

 author reasonably and liberally." 



The Appletons being thus out with their reprint, the Boston 

 house declined to go on. So I wrote to the Appletons takin 



or 



