My dear Hooker

I have just received your note: I am sincerely sorry to hear of the state of your venerable grandfather:² I trust his suffering is not great.—

I enclose the proofs; would you please look over the whole of the Galapagos Ch. as the vegetation is incidentally mentioned in two or three places: you can skip about the tortoises & lizards, tameness of birds which is as before; all the rest is much altered.— I have tryed to make it as little purely scientific as possible— I hope there are no material errors in the Botany part: the proofs have been revised once, but I have not time to look them over again before sending to you.— W^d. you please return them soon, as the Press waits for them.—³

I grieve to hear that the labels are displaced in my plants: I took the greatest care in this respect, whilst they were in my care.— I collected everything in flower in Patagonia & B. Blanca, which latter place I saw was intermediate in character between the N. & S.—

Pray of course send my C. Verd plants & any others whither you like.— I have no separate catalogue of plants, but if you will send me the numbers, in a row I will gladly fill up the localities.—

I know nothing of the C. Pigeon.—

You are most kind to think of giving me a copy of your work:⁴ but seriously there must be many botanists, on whom it w^d. be better bestowed, though none, who will be better pleased at the offer: now I beg you to have no scruples, & keep it & give it to some Botanist if such sh^d. occur to you: again I thank you.—

I am so stupid, that I forget which way you prefer parcels being sent to you.— I will then return d’Urville &c.— Can you allow me to keep a fortnight or 3 weeks longer Webb & Berthelot;⁵ I have been so worked with my Journal, that I have not had strength to read it.—

Will you also excuse me having put some pencil-scores to the pamphlet on l’Espèce,⁶ & will you leave them unrubbed out: so that I c^d hereafter borrow it again: the passages do not strike me as worth copying & yet I sh^d. like hereafter to refresh my memory with them.—

Remember you shall have a copy of my Journal, when complete.

Ever my dear Hooker | Most truly yours | C. Darwin

I heartily wish you success at Edinburgh;⁷ though it will carry you so far away.—

What a wonderful deal of work you are about!—