My dear Hooker

Many thanks for your kindness about the lodgings—it will be of great use to me. Please let me know the address if M^rs. Jacobson¹ succeeds, for I think I shall go on the 22^d & write previously to my lodgings. I have since had a tempting invitation from Daubeny² to meet Henslow &c, but upon the whole, I believe, lodgings will answer best, for then I shall have a secure solitary retreat to rest in.—

I am extremely glad I sent the Laburnum:³ the raceme grew in centre of tree & had a most minute tuft of leaves, which presented no unusual appearance: there is now on one raceme a terminal bilateral bilateral flower & on another raceme a single terminal pure yellow & one adjoining bilateral flower. If you w^d. like them I will send them; otherwise I w^d. keep them to see whether the bilateral flowers will seed, for Herbert says the yellow ones will.—⁴ Herbert is wrong in thinking there are no somewhat analogous facts; I can tell you some, when we meet.— I know not whether Botanists consider each petal & stamen an individual; if so there seems to me no especial difficulty in the case, but if a flower bud is a unit, are not these flowers very strange?— I have seen Dillwynn in Gardeners’ Chron.⁵ & was disgusted at it, for I thought my bilateral flowers w^d. have been a novelty for you.— Is Cybele the Phytologist?⁶ if so I sh^d. be very glad of it— You can send it from Kew (if there are many volumes had they not better be in a Box which shall be returned) directed to “C. Darwin E^sq. care of G. Snow Nag’s Head Borough”⁷ Can you lend me any full treatise on grafting, more especially Thouin or Cabanis?⁸ I have seen Morton (Lyell sent it me): it is a compilation without going to original sources, & therefore, full of small inaccuracies.⁹ We shall have lots to talk about at Oxford.—

Thanks for your invitation to Kew, but I shall keep myself quiet for Oxford, though I sh^d. have enjoyed being with you & meeting Watson & Harvey: I shall like to hear whether my Nulliporæ turned out of any use.—¹⁰ It w^d. save time, I think, if you could arrange Dropmore on our return from Oxford— Will you allow me to ask Hensleigh Wedgwood to meet us there, as he says he sh^d. enjoy it much.—

I went up yesterday afternoon for the Council & returned here again— I saw poor Falconer & thought he looked ill— Sir Henry Dela beche, was speaking at the Council with high praise of your coal-doings & it rejoiced me to perceive that he somewhat appreciates you.—¹¹ He certainly is a wonderfully clever hand at picking out good men.— We had here a most wretchedly distressing day on Saturday, with our poor little youngest child¹² seized with a convulsion fit; but he has had no return & is going on very well.

Ever yours | C. Darwin

The books had better be sent on next Tuesday.