From J. D. Hooker [17–23 December 1857]1
Dear Darwin
I am disgusted at remembering suddenly that I had forgotten to send the vols: of DC.—2 I shall send on Thursday by carrier that with Leguminosæ (& others)—for I am really interested in that curious anomaly.3
Bentham I know thinks that he has created too many genera & others far more.—but whether enough to influence the whole Flora is more than I can tell—4
I have begun my Introd: Essay to Tasmania Flora.5 I think I shall confine it to a clear exposition of all the main features of the Flora of Australia & leave all conclusion drawing to others. I find there are already upwards of 100 Europ. plants well naturalize⟨d⟩ in vicinity of Melbourne already.
I send by post 2 tracts from A Gray— I cannot follow Dana’s metaphysical ideas on species.6 What do you say to them
Ever yours | J D Hooker
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Bentham, George. 1858. Handbook of the British flora; a description of the flowering plants and ferns indigenous to, or naturalized in, the British Isles. London: Lovell Reeve.
Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de and Candolle, Alphonse de. 1824–73. Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarum, juxta methodi naturalis normas digesta. 19 vols. Paris: Treuttel & Würtz [and others].
Dana, James Dwight. 1857. Thoughts on species. American Journal of Science and Arts 2d ser. 24: 305–16.
Summary
Sending more Candolle volumes for survey of species with well-marked varieties.
Has begun his introduction [to Flora Tasmaniae]; will not make generalisations.
J. D. Dana’s pamphlet too metaphysical for JDH.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2188
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 104: 194
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2188,” accessed on 29 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2188.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6