CHAPTER V. 



the publication of the 'variation of animals and 

 plants under domestication.' 



January 1867, to June 1868. 



At the beginning of the year 1867 he was at work on the 

 final chapter — "Concluding Remarks" of the 'Variation of 

 Animals and Plants under Domestication,' which was begun 

 after the rest of the MS. had been sent to the printers in the 

 preceding December. With regard to the publication of the 

 book he wrote to Mr. Murray, on January 3 : — 



" I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear of the enor- 

 mous size of my book.* I fear it can never pay. But I can- 

 not shorten it now ; nor, indeed, if I had foreseen its length, 

 do I see which parts ought to have been omitted. 



" If you are afraid to publish it, say so at once, I beg you, 

 and I will consider your note as cancelled. If you think fit, 

 get any one whose judgment you rely on, to look over some 

 of the more legible chapters, namely, the Introduction, and 

 on dogs and plants, the latter chapters being in my opinion, 

 the dullest in the book. . . . The list of chapters, and the 

 inspection of a few here and there, would give a good judge 



* On January g he wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker : " I have been these 

 last few days vexed and annoyed to a foolish degree by hearing that my 

 MS. on Dom. An. and Cult. Plants will make 2 vols., both bigger than the 

 ' Origin.' The volumes will have to be full-sized octavo, so I have writ- 

 ten to Murray to suggest details to be printed in small type. But I feel 

 that the size is quite ludicrous in relation to the subject. I am ready to 

 swear at myself and at every fool who writes a book." 



