My dear Hooker

It was a real pleasure to me to see your hand-writing again, for it is a long time since I have heard of you.³ What a bore about the mumps; but I am very glad that you will soon have complete rest & change, in which latter I have unbounded faith.—⁴ I suppose that Lady Hooker goes with you & I hope she may enjoy herself— Pray give her my kindest remembrances. I had vaguely thought whether I would pay you a call at Kew, but thought that you would probably be too busy, & it seems that you will be on the road before I could come.—

I sh^d. think that you might make a very interesting address on Geograph. Distrib.—⁵ Could you give a little history of the subject. I, for one, sh^d like to read such history in pelts; but I can see one very great difficulty, that you yourself ought to figure most prominently in it; & this you would not do, for you are just the man to treat yourself in a dishonourable manner!— I sh^d very much like to see you discuss some of Wallace’s views, especially his ignoring the all powerful effects of the Glacial period with respect to Alpine plants. I do not know what you think, but it appears to me that he exaggerates enormously the influence of debacles & slips & new surfaces of soil being exposed for the reception of wind-blown seeds.⁶ What kinds of seeds have the plants which are common to the distant mountain-summits in Africa? Wallace lately wrote to me about the mountain-plants of Madagascar being the same with those on mountains in Africa, & seemed to think it proved dispersal by the wind, without apparently having enquired what sort of seeds the plants bore.—⁷

I suppose it w^d be travelling too far, (though for Geographical section the discussion ought to be far reaching) but I sh^d like to see the European or northern element in the C. of Good Hope Flora, discussed.— I cannot swallow Wallaces’ view that European plants travelled down the Andes, tenanted the hypothetical Antarctic continent (in which I quite believe) & thence spread to S. Australia & the Cape of G. Hope.—⁸

Mosely told me not long ago that he proposed to search at Kerguelen Land the coal-beds most carefully & was absolutely forbidden to do so by Sir W. Thompson, who said that he would undertake the work, & he never once visited them.⁹ This puts me in a passion.— I hope that you will keep to your intention & make an address on Distribution. Though I differ in much from Wallace, his Island Life seems to me a wonderful book.—¹⁰

Farewell, I do hope that you may have a most prosperous journey. Give my kindest remembrances to Asa Gray.—

Ever yours affectionately | Ch. Darwin