My dear Lyell

It was very very good of you to write me so long & very interesting a letter; but I wish you had mentioned whether you see any further into your very odd case of the vertical divisions of the lava-streams.—²

I have kept your list of the land-shells & made the corrections: I had no idea how wonderfully learned you were on the subject.— I shall be very glad to borrow Heer, when you go abroad.—³ Your cases of possible transportal beat all that I have ever heard of; & if any body had put such cases hypothetically I sh^d. have laughed at them.⁴ I have known Colymbetes fly on board Beagle 45 miles from land,⁵ which, by the way, surprised Wollaston much. We had much to me most interesting conversation, when he & the others were here: Wollaston strikes me as quite a first-rate man & very nice & pleasant into the bargain. It is really striking (but almost laughable to me) to notice the change in Hookers & Huxley’s opinions on species during the last few years.—⁶

With respect to your suggestion of a sketch of my view; I hardly know what to think, but will reflect on it; but it goes against my prejudices. To give a fair sketch would be absolutely impossible, for every proposition requires such an array of facts. If I were to do anything it could only refer to the main agency of change, selection,—& perhaps point out a very few of the leading features which countenance such a view, & some few of the main difficulties. But I do not know what to think: I rather hate the idea of writing for priority, yet I certainly sh^d. be vexed if any one were to publish my doctrines before me.—⁷ Anyhow I thank you heartily for your sympathy. I shall be in London next week,⁸ & I will call on you on Thursday morning for one hour precisely so as not to lose much of your time & my own: but will you let me this one time come as early as 9 oclock, for I have much which I must do, & the morning is my strongest time.

Farewell | My dear old Patron | Yours | C. Darwin

By the way three plants have now come up out of the earth perfectly enclosed in the roots of the trees.—⁹ And 29 plants in the table-spoon-full of mud out of little pond:¹⁰ Hooker was surprised at this, & struck with it, when I showed him how much mud I had scraped off one Duck’s feet.—

If I did publish a short sketch, where on earth should I publish it?

If I do not hear I shall understand that I may come from 9–10 on Thursday.—