Dear Darwin

That certainly is a curious observation of Traill’s, but do you know I have little faith in I. A. Henrys soundness— I put several questions to him regarding his paper & I send his answer— he is a nice liberal & enthusiastic fellow, but not sufficiently exact I suspect— I do hope that the Potato case is a true one.¹

I was greatly pleased with what I saw at Paris, & I think the Exposition is most unjustly abused in the English papers;² it will be far the finest thing of the kind when finished.

How curious is Horace having intermittent fever—³ I hope it will not prostrate him too much. Our baby is fairly well & troubled only with a few muscular twitches—at times— Mrs Hooker was in Town with me yesterday for the first time for many months— I hope she will not knock herself up now, as the Governess has gone away for a month’s holiday, & the boys come home next week. Charlie will go to his Grandmamas at Norwich, & I am going to ask Mrs Darwin if I may bring Willy to Down on Saturday 20^th. till Monday.⁴ One bed is sufficient, as he is a quiet-sleeper. I know she will not hesitate to say no, if in any way inconvenient.

Only fancy poor Smith has lost his infant, (the contemporary of mine), during my visit to Paris! & I only returned in time for its burial— it was a magnificent huge baby—. inflam. of lungs—⁵

I saw Huxley—well—yesterday. He Lubbock & I go to Brittany on 24^th.⁶

If any of your boys go to Paris at Easter, there is my room which is mine for this month at their service, & there are others in same house, clean new & nice, at 3 frs. a night.—& they need not spend more than 7 fr. a day, in living like fighting-cocks, if they go the right way about it.

Ever Yr aff | J D Hooker.