Dear Darwin

I am very vexed that I could not go down on Saturday, but we have old Mr G. Jenyns here, & I could not run away.— you must have had a delightful party.²

Now lift up your hands & eyes—when I tell you, that I am doing a British Flora!— My father’s British Flora is just out of print, & Arnott, his coadjutor is dead, & both Balfour & another Scotch Professor have been at me to write another Flora that shall be better adapted to students purposes;—more scientific, with references to such observations as your’s,—with attention to various points in structure & morphology not usually noted, & with rather more complete & uniform Generic descriptions than the former editions.³

Benthams is far the best Flora,⁴ but he skims over very distinct subspecies &c,—his English names are an abomination to the Professors, & his phraseology is not scientific enough for a class-book, that should impress terms that express definite morphological combinations & structures, of flower fruit &c.

I have long wished to write a book of this sort, & shall have famous help from Oliver in all Scientific points, & Baker as to critical species &c⁵   I should like too to write a good brief introduction to the principles of plant-Classification, with a map or 2 of orders such as we have often spoken of.

It is an awful task & you may wish me well through it.—but by my wife⁶ acting as amanuensis, the descriptive part goes on very smoothly. It will, if well done, be the class book for Edinburgh, Glasgow Dublin & U. College London & perhaps other Schools, & hence have a good Sale, a matter of importance to me now as the children grow up & my income is yearly more inelastic.— Pray say nothing about it however, as I may break down.

MacMillan is inclined to take it up, as one of his series of Educational books.⁷ I shall be thankful for any hints you can afford me.

I think I could swallow Croll’s glacial Extensions, especially as sending the Equatorial Flora Southward would account for the extension of certain tropical types into S. Temp. Latitudes

I grant you, tis’ a huge relief to get rid of a simultaneous cooling of whole Globe.⁸

H. Watsons contemptuous epithets did not rile me, but his unprincipled garbling of what is said in the “Flora Indica” did; for no one will turn to the book & find out for themselves how false he is & unscrupulous.⁹ How good of you to champion me. He has not answered my letter, in which I accuse him roundly of perverting not my meaning only, but the whole passage.

Ever yr affec | J. D. Hooker