My dear Hooker

It is working hours, but I am trying to take a day’s holiday, for I finished & despatched yesterday my Climbing paper.² For the last ten days I have done nothing but correct refractory sentences, & I loathe the whole subject like tartar-emetic.— By the way I am convinced that you want a holiday—& I think so because you took the Devil’s name in vain so often in your last note.³ Can you come here for Sunday; you know how I sh^d. like it, & you will be quiet & dull enough here to get plenty of rest.—⁴

I have been thinking with regret about what you said in one of your later notes, about having neglected to make notes on the gradation of characters in your genera.⁵ But would it be too late? surely if you looked over names in series the facts would come back & you might surely write a fine paper “On the Gradation of important characters in the genera of Plants”. As for unimportant characters, I have made their perfect gradation a very prominent point, with respect to the means of climbing, in my paper. I begin to think that one of the commonest means of transition is the same individual plant having the same part in different states: thus Corydalis claviculata, if you look to one leaf may be called a tendril-bearer,—if you look to another leaf it may be called a leaf-climber.⁶ Now I am sure I remember some cases with plants in which important part, such as position of ovule, differs—differences in spire of leaves on lateral & terminal branches &c.—

There was not much in last Nat. Hist. R. which interested me except Colonial Floras & the Report on sexuality of Cryptogams. I suppose the former was by Oliver:⁷ how extremely curious is the fact is of similarity of orders in Tropics.— I feel a conviction that it is somehow connected with Glacial destruction,⁸ but I cannot “wriggle” comfortably at all on the subject.⁹ I am nearly sure that Dana makes out that the greatest number of Crustacean forms inhabit warmer temperate regions.¹⁰

I have had an enormous letter from Leo Lesquereux (after doubts I did not think it worth sending you) on Coal Flora:¹¹ he wrote some excellent articles in Silliman against “Origin” views;¹² but he says now after repeated reading of the book he is a convert! But how funny men’s minds are; he says he is chiefly converted because my books makes the Birth of Christ—Redemption by Grace &c plain to him!!¹³

Ray Soc. will publish Gärtner; but consults me about a Translator & can give no advice, & asks me for Introductory Chapter, which I have felt compelled to decline & am sorry for.—¹⁴

Ever yours affect | C. Darwin

There is not one question in this letter! please to make a note of this little fact & carry it to my credit.

P.S. I by no means wished to send my paper on Climbers to Royal Soc. & suggested it solely to avoid expence for Linn. Soc.— I always preferred latter.¹⁵