My dear Hooker

I should like awfully,, as the boys say, to pay you an hours visit at Kew, but I fear I have not strength enough. For the same reason M^r. Woolner must I fear wait.¹ With respect to the Bignonia, it is certainly very different from the B. unguis   the latter has sensitive petioles & can hardly twine, whereas B. buxifolia has not sensitive petioles & can twine well. I suppose I must call it “an unnamed species from Kew allied to B. unguis”.²

I should have much wished to have consulted you about sending an answer to Kölliker in the Reader as a good opportunity of giving a little lecture on the points misunderstood by him.³ It would not be quarrelsome in nature.

But Lyell thinks it would not be worth the short time required to do it.⁴ & I quite gave up the thought   On the other hand my brother & H. Wedgwood think it would.⁵ Have you any decided opinion for I cant make up my mind.

We shall return probably on Thursday or Friday.— If I sh^d. get wonderfully strong, I could not resist coming for an hour.—but I fear there is hardly a chance; for Bot. Garden in Regents Park,⁶ almost did for me.—

Yours affect^y | C. Darwin