[Enclosure]

Cambridge. Oct. 25: 1863 My Dear Hooker,

A letter from Boott to his sister (in Boott’s own handwriting which I was so glad to see again)⁸ which was sent to me yesterday, told us—before we saw the Gard. Chronicle, of your and Mrs. Hooker’s great and sudden sorrow, and deeply do we sympathise with you both in your affliction.⁹ I suppose the departed one was named both after your mother and your sisters.¹⁰ All your children have been born since I saw you,¹¹ but your accounts of them, from time to time, have kept up our interest in them.

Your photograph is before me, and reproaches me with not having thanked you for the gift.—if indeed it be, as I fear, that I have not replied to yours of Aug. 26–Sept. 4^th. At first I was not well satisfied with the photographer’s work. He has allowed your head to take a position which brings out a furrow on your cheek which is yet out of place, I presume, in the original. But, through longer familiarity I am getting to like the picture better. Many thanks for it.

We are delighted to know that dear Boott is really convalescent and gaining strength steadily, if slowly.

I must have written to you early in Sept. to say how much my wife had gained by our holiday.¹² The gain she held well until 3 weeks ago—when a piece of overdoing—caused, I fear by a rather unexpected houseful of visitors, has put her down again as bad as ever.—confined to her room for the present, and with the prospect of being an invalid all winter!¹³ Her illness, though not very serious, perhaps, has damped our spirits, and has kept me from doing very much.

I am well in the midst of a study of the Astragali of N. Amer.,¹⁴ and before I print the results of my revision of the materials which our herbaria furnish, I may ask a question or two, as to those of Hook. Fl. Bor—Am.¹⁵

At present I am at a total loss only in regard to A. diaphanus, Dougl. in Hook. Fl. Bor. Am.¹⁶

It is in none of our herbaria—(i.e. Douglas’s specimens),¹⁷ nor have we anything I can identify with it. It is hardly likely you can help me to know it.

I must hereafter look over your remarks about Compositæ in your last letter. I shall be pleased if you can keep up my Mniopsis, which when I gave the name I thought a famous good genus. But, as you say, the Gnaphaliad genera must be done all over before we can get satisfaction—probably small satisfaction then.¹⁸

If I were younger—or even as I am, if I had not a weary load of work upon my shoulders I would “come over, and work up Compositæ” for your Gen. Pl.¹⁹ Some parts of the job I think I could do fairly well.

I had been told I could have little room in Nov. no. of Sill. Jour. and so had not attacked Welwitschia. But being lately told I could fill 4 pages I wrote and sent on a notice of your memoir²⁰—I trust an appreciating one, though hasty and imperfect.

I consider the memoir grand—and that it does you very great credit. The clearness with which you have put every thing is unrivalled, perhaps even by any thing you ever did before. I do not believe that there is any monograph which exceeds it. You had a first rate opportunity, and I think you have improved it.

I lately find that Seemann had taken it into his head to reprint my review of DC. Memoirs et Souvenirs in his Journal.—²¹ That, as he likes, But he has cut out here and there as he liked.— which he was also welcome to do if he indicated the lacunæ,—as he did not.

But what vexes and astonishes me is that he had the impudence to assert that it was communicated with corrections by the author.—which surely is not true in any sense.²² I must rap his knuckles for that piece of impudence.²³ Then he will probably leave me alone, which is all I want.

Ever, dear friend, Your affectionate and sympathising   A. Gray