SO SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. [1866. 



Sketch, that you had in 1853 published your views on the 

 genealogical connection of past and present forms. 



I suppose you have the sheets of the last English edition 

 on which I marked with pencil all the chief additions, but 

 many little corrections of style were not marked. 



Pray believe that I feel sincerely grateful for the great 

 service and honour which you do me by the present 

 translation. 



I remain, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely, 



CHARLES DARWIN. 



P.S. I should be very much pleased to possess your 

 photograph, and I send mine in case you should like to have 

 a copy. 



C. Darwin to C. Ndgeli* 



Down, June 12 [1866]. 



DEAR SIR, I hope you will excuse the liberty which I 

 take in writing to you. I have just read, though imperfectly, 

 your ' Entstehung und Begriff/ and have been so greatly 

 interested by it, that I have sent it to be translated, as I am 

 a poor German scholar. I have just finished a new [4th] 

 edition of my ' Origin,' which will be translated into German, 

 and my object in writing to you is to say that if you should 

 see this edition you would think that I had borrowed from 

 you, without acknowledgment, two discussions on the beauty 

 of flowers and fruit ; but I assure you every word was printed 

 off before I had opened your pamphlet. Should you like to 

 possess a copy of either the German or English new edition, I 

 should be proud to send one. I may add, with respect to the 

 beauty of flowers, that I have already hinted the same views 

 as you hold in my paper on Lythrum. 



Many of your criticisms on my views are the best which I 

 have met with, but I could answer some, at least to my own 

 satisfaction ; and I regret extremely that I had not read your 

 * Professor of Botany at Munich. 



