My dear Hooker.

The Books arrived quite safely this morning.²

Emma desires her thanks to M^rs. Hooker for her note, but she is sorry she thought of troubling herself about the socks.

I will do D. Candolle first, as I guess that most likely to be wanted: the job will be a long one.—³

I am very glad to have R. Brown’s Prodromus.—⁴

Whenever I try the Labiatæ in different ways, which will not be soon, you shall hear the result, as I shall wish much to tell it.

Thanks for Dana’s pamphlet:⁵ I am much disappointed in it. I have high respect for Dana, but in this brochure “I do not think he is much of a Baconian philosopher,” as our friend J. E. Gray says.— I hate such far-fetched analogies, as comparing an atom of oxygen with a living being.— I believe, poor fellow, he believes in 1^st Ch^r. of Genesis, so great allowances must be made for him.⁶

I have been reading in proof Sheets Huxley’s “Explanatory Catalogue” & it seems to me quite an admirable, but very brief, resume on the Natural Sciences⁷

I am very sorry to hear that you do not intend to give generalisations in your Tasmanian Introduction, but I do not believe you will be able to resist: what is in the spirit must come out.⁸

I hope that poor dear Henslow is going on well.—

Ever yours | C. Darwin

I have just finished a tremendous job, my chapter on Hybridism: it has taken me 3 months to write, after all facts collected together!⁹