My dear Hooker

Many thanks for Decaisne returned by this post.² I have been glad to see it, though, as you say, it contains nothing new.³ I remember formerly he was much inclined to look at pears as descended from several aboriginal forms.⁴ As for the Larkspurs, I shall be astonished if he prove right.⁵ I will at once try them on a small scale. It will be marvellous to me that a flower sh^d. be so elaborately adapted to be sucked by bees, & not profit by its own structure.—⁶

I go on working at climbers & tendrils much to my own amusement & I have now on the table a Ceropegia which has caught firm hold of a stick, 26 inches distant from itself & centre of rotation.⁷ It troubles me much not knowing what is known:⁸ thus today I see that the peduncle of young leaves of Tropæolum Canariense are all very sensitive to touch, & as the top of shoot rotates, the peduncles are brought into contact with sticks & cling to them; which to me is new method of climbing.⁹ Virginian creeper is the oddest of climbers; contact promptly causing a cellular cushion to grow out on the back & sides of the point, & this exudes a resinous cement, or at least a cement, which essential oils & no other reagent act on.¹⁰ But good Lord, how I do maunder on to you about my hobby-horses. Your new plants are not yet recovered enough to observe.—¹¹

I wrote the above yesterday & I now find out that Dutrochet has observed the spontaneous movements of the internodes of climbers & tendril-bearing plants.¹² So that I have thrown away some good time; but I hardly regret it, for I have had some good sport. Possibly I may have observed enough new to draw up short paper, but I must get his papers in the Comtes Rendus.¹³

I wish some Botanist, like Oliver, would publish a full book on Bot. Phys & miscellaneous matter, with lots of references. It would be awfully laborious, but I sh^d. think very useful.¹⁴

There is going to be a marriage in our family, between my sister, Catherine who is only a year younger than I am, & M^r Langton, a widower of my wifes sister.¹⁵

Good night: I hope you will soon be rather less busy— goodnight | Yours affect.— | C. Darwin

Remember the medallion of D^r. Darwin by Wedgwood, which you had for a cast; do not let it be lost¹⁶