66 'VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION.' [1867. 



We shall be in London for a week in about a fortnight's 

 time, and I shall enjoy having a breakfast talk with you. 



Yours affectionately, 



C. Darwin. 



[The following letter refers to the new and improved trans- 

 lation of the ' Origin,' undertaken by Professor Carus :] 



C. Darwin to J. Victor Carus. 



Down, February 17 [1867]. 



My DEAR Sir, — I have read your preface with care. It 

 seems to me that you have treated Bronn with complete 

 respect and great delicacy, and that you have alluded to your 

 own labour with much modesty. I do not think that any of 

 Bronn's friends can complain of what you say and what you 

 have done. For my own sake, I grieve that you have not 

 added notes, as I am sure that I should have profited much 

 by them ; but as you have omitted Bronn's objections, I 

 believe that you have acted with excellent judgment and 

 fairness in leaving the text without comment to the inde- 

 pendent verdict of the reader. I heartily congratulate you 

 that the main part of your labour is over ; it would have been 

 to most men a very troublesome task, but you seem to have 

 indomitable powers of work, judging from those two wonder- 

 ful and most useful volumes on zoological literature* edited 

 by you, and which I never open without surprise at their ac- 

 curacy, and gratitude for their usefulness. I cannot sufficiently 

 tell you how much I rejoice that you were persuaded to super- 

 intend the translation of the present edition of my book, for I 

 have now the great satisfaction of knowing that the German 

 public can judge fairly of its merits and demerits 



With my cordial and sincere thanks, believe me, 

 My dear Sir, yours very faithfully, 



Ch. Darwin. 



* ' Bibliotheca Zoologica,' 1861. 



