From J. D. Hooker [12 December 1866]1
Kew
Wednesday.
Dear Darwin
The plants arrived all safe & are most acceptable, many thanks.2
I am getting up a good bed of Monsters, amongst which the Antirrhinum will come.3 I am now busy rearranging & replanting our whole Herbaceous Ground, which will take all winter to get into order.4
I had a delightful dinner party at Lyells yesterday 2 Bunburys, (& Lady B)—Lecky the rationalist & Miss B. Coutts.5 I have rarely really enjoyed a dinner party. Lyell looks uncommonly well & in great spirits.
I shall be glad to hear the result of passing the Leguminous seeds through a fowl, the red one you sent me resembles little Crab’s eyes (Abrus precatorius)— What are the splendid crimson seeds you allude to—anything difft from those you sent?—6
I hear that the Wedgwoods at Shrewsbury were bought by a Mrs Wedgwood of London—probably, as you supposed, of Leith hill—7
Lubbock gave a most interesting account at Linn. Soc. of a new sort of Centipede which gave rise to an able discussion by Busk & Huxley as to whether it was a new order or not. I thought Huxley’s view the most rational.8
Ever yrs affec | J D Hooker
Footnotes
Bibliography
Desmond, Ray. 1995. Kew: the history of the Royal Botanic Gardens. London: Harvill Press with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1978. Charles Darwin: a companion. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Summary
Plants arrived.
Delightful dinner at Lyell’s.
Will be interested in seeds passed through a fowl.
Wedgwood medallions were bought by a Miss W. [Sophy Wedgwood] of Leith Hill.
Lubbock’s account of a new centipede at Linnean Society gave rise to lively discussion by Busk and Huxley.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5302
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Kew
- Source of text
- DAR 102: 118–19
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5302,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5302.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 14