My dear Hooker

Your last letter pleased & cheered me much, as indeed yours always do.—   Etty came home last night, not much tired: her abdomen my wife thinks certainly less hard & swollen, which of course is our dreadful fear; & certainly she gains a very little strength.—

I return Watsons nice letter not at all cantankerous:² I have not yet read Cybele-supplement.³ The “conspious zoologist”, who says nat. selection does not apply to plants must be J. E. Gray.—⁴ By the way Owen has sent me a copy of one of his Reports, which he never did before!⁵ so he does not want to split with me, only to have malignant pleasure of sneering at me anonymously.

The Editor of Athenæum has inserted Asa Grays capital answers to Agassiz & Co.—⁶ Rudolph Wagner, has sent me German pamphet in which he says truth probably lies half-way between Agassiz & self.—⁷ It is curious how many will go half-way or quarter way,—all such I look at as booked to go further; for I observe none even hint why they do not go further.

I will gratefully send my notes on Drosera when copied by my copyer: the subject amused me much, when I had nothing to do.—⁸

I am convinced that your Listera discovery is the key-stone to understand the structure of many orchids.—⁹ I enclose abstract of facts of two cases. I never so well realised M. Edwards saying “niggard in innovation & prodigal variety”—¹⁰ observe what little change would convert Epipactis to Orchis: the temporary or non-congenital point of attachment in working down to base of pollinia; & to viscous matter (at least greater part) does not come out of the rostellum.¹¹ It is very idle of me thus to amuse myself; but how I sh^d. like to examine a few forms in other divisions. I suspect that the slow movement in one direction which I find in all pollinia of Orchis, would explain the springing out of pollinia in Catasetum. Could you lend me a plant in bud & bloom of Catasetum? Have you any orchids, (not very rare) with irritable labellum? Malaxis is rare at Hartfield, but when there again I could get you some plants; & if you wished much for them, I could perhaps ask a surgeon there (who found my specimens) to search for you;¹² but if you do not care much perhaps it w^d. be better to wait & not ask this favour— Would you like to see my curious movement in pollinia of O. pyramidalis? if so I could send some in tin—by Post: it would not take five minutes to see the movements.—

If you keep to your good intention of answering the Bishop,¹³ I have put a few notes about blunders in detail—though whether they will be of any use I know not.—

I agree to all what you say about Daubeny’s paper.¹⁴

I am sorry about your ear; but can hardly sympathise with you not having tooth out.—

Farewell | C. Darwin

I hope your poor Baby will improve.—

Can you tell me name of plant, which grew a foot or two in height in my Father’s garden, with little white flowers on branching stem, & the flowers of which used to catch a multitude of flies by their proboscis. I must try & get this plant to observe it, with respect to intercrossing.—¹⁵

Please answer this sometime

On reflexion I fear the Catasetum do not grow in pots & would not bear even for short time temperature of sitting room & would be too precious to lend me.— Could I buy any Green-house orchids in flower do you suppose?

I am sillily & very idly interested in them.—

I have just had note from Huxley that Von Baer goes a great way with me.¹⁶ It seems that he has written on subject, from Geograph. Distribution grounds, before having read my Book. Von Baer counterweighs Owen + Agassiz. The latter has attacked me fiercely but not well.—¹⁷