r8661 PROF. VICTOR CARUS. 



233 



quite a large number of persons. It would be a great gratifi- 

 cation to me to know that the translation was a really good 

 one, such as I have no doubt you will produce. According 

 to our English practice, you will be fully justified in entirely 

 omitting Bronn's Appendix, and I shall be very glad of its 

 omission. A new edition may be looked at as a new work. 

 .... You could add anything of your own that you liked, 

 and I should be much pleased. Should you make any addi- 

 tions or append notes, it appears to me that Nageli " Ent- 

 stehung und Begriff," &c.,* would be worth noticing, as one of 

 the most able pamphlets on the subject. I am, however, far 

 from agreeing with him that the acquisition of certain char- 

 acters which appear to be of no service to plants, offers any 

 great difficulty, or affords a proof of some innate tendency 

 in plants towards perfection. If you intend to notice this 

 pamphlet, I should like to write hereafter a little more in 

 detail on the subject. 



.... I wish I had known when writing my Historical 

 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 trans- 

 lation. 



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. 



* ' Entstehung und Begriff der Naturhistorischen Art.' An Address 

 given at a public meeting of the ' R. Academy of Sciences' at Munich, 

 Mar. 28, 1865. 



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