To J. D. Hooker [31 January 1846]1
Down Bromley Kent
Saturday
My dear Hooker
I shd. have written to you some time ago (though I do not exactly know I had anything particular to say) but I have been very unwell for a fortnight with a cold which affected my detested stomach.
I have at last finished Webb & Berthelot,2 & carefully packed it up; shall I return it you or keep it? If you will be so good as to leave my few pencil marks (that I may hereafter skim through it) it is absolutely the same to me whether returned now or hereafter; I have been a good deal disappointed with it, & think it much spun out with empty remarks & generalities: I see he says he will give a list of all species at end of the Descriptive Part; so that I am at present no wiser than when I begun, how far in proportional numbers the Flora is peculiar & how closely the different islands of the Western division resemble each other, or the character of the Alpine plants, or indeed in any of the grand features, which I think wd. naturally interest every philosophic naturalist. How different are your results as given in your Flora & letters to me!
I see Berthelot quotes & concurs with Gaudichaud (who is a good man, is he not?) that the plants in volcanic islands are polymorphous ie variable:3 this is directly the reverse, I know, of your opinion.—4
I am delighted to hear of more species from the Galapagos; what a wonderful spot it is! I am surprised to hear of the W. Indian character of the Flora, though as this Flora is common to Panama, as you say, it makes it less surprising.5 It is an odd coincidence that the one shell common to the two coasts of Panama, is found, also, at the Galapagos.
What an odd chance it was the discussion in the Gardeners Chronicle about the longevity of fruit-trees;6 I cannot say I am convinced; surely Oak-trees attain a greater age than lime-trees & it is a mere assumption to say it is due to mechanical causes. What a stride from Annuals to Eternity of life! I have seen none of our Party here, since we met here: what a grievous thing poor Forbes’7 illness has been. I have had one note from him, saying he was much better. What a loss he wd be to science: it is grievous to think of it.—
Farewell my dear Hooker excuse this dull note & don’t write till you feel inclined. | Ever yours | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Gaudichaud, Charles Beaupré-. 1826. Botanique. Vol. 4 of Freycinet, L. C. D. de, Voyage autour du monde, entrepris par ordre du Roi … exécuté sur les corvettes de S. M. l’Uranie et la Physicienne, pendant les années 1817, 1818, 1819 et 1820. 9 vols. Paris. 1824–44.
Vorzimmer, Peter J. 1977. The Darwin reading notebooks (1838-1860). Journal of the History of Biology 10: 107–53.
Summary
Disappointed with Webb and Berthelot.
Delighted to hear of more species from the Galapagos, surprised to hear W. Indian character of flora.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-945
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 114: 53
- Physical description
- ALS 7pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 945,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-945.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 3