Dear Darwin

I was uncommonly stupid about the Vivisection Memorial & after all I forgot to put P. R. S. to the autograph which I gave to B. S. for you— pray use my name as you think fit.¹

I hope to start on Tuesday morning with Strachey² for Paris—& Marseilles, where I hope to pick up Harriet³ & take her a little trip,— where to must depend on the weather—if cool along the Riviera: if hot—to Mount Dore & Auvergne.

I am very anxious to get away as my head has been rather bad. I find now that any council or Committee (as Atheneum),⁴ if any thing important is to be done gives me a headache— I shall be away a month.

Playfair has very kindly taken upon himself to stand up for Kew & my Assistant, if any objection is taken in the House to the Kew Estimates. & a better man could not be⁵

Delpino writes rather annoyed at Benthams critique on his Artemisia theory.: it is odd how touchy foreigners are in such matters— I think they are worse than we are.⁶

Have you any Botanical suggestions for the Arctic Expedition   if so please let me have them at once— I recommend special attention to insect action & fertilization Hybrids &c sowing earth from Icebergs   Also to try experiments on germination of seeds exposed to various degrees of cold.⁷

I suppose that you are expecting Leonard soon.⁸

Ever aff yrs | J. D. Hooker