Volume I Part 45 (2/2)

I have got Bentham ('British Flora'), and am charmed with it, and Willia out all sorts of new (to me) plants capitally The little scraps of inforlish naive them by all means, but why on earth [not] make them subordinate to the Latin; it puts ed into the Compositae and Urand style

I passdaily a couple of hours ofwork I a set me on this; for I shall, when it is done, be able to finish reater ease and leisure I confess I hated the thought of the job; and now I find it very unsatisfactory in not being able to give er than I expected; it will take thirty-five of ive an abstract on variation under do which does not seem to me of some interest, and which was once new to ive an abstract of an unpublished work; nevertheless, I repeat, I aun in earnest on it

I hope you and Mrs Hooker will have a very very pleasant tour

Farewell, my dear Hooker

Yours affectionately, C DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Norfolk House, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, Thursday [August 5, 1858]

My dear Hooker,

I should think the note apologetical about the style of the abstract was best as a noteBut I write now to ask you to send enera, that I th I presume that you have quite done with it, otherwise I would not for anything have it back If you tie it with string, and , it will not cost, I should think, more than 4 pence

I shall wish much to say that you have read this MS and concur; but you shall, before I read it to the Society, hear the sentence

What you tell th of the Abstract is an IMMENSE relief toto shorten so le subject; but I will try not to be too diffusive I fear it will spoil all interest in un in 1856), whenever published The Abstract will do very well to divide into several parts: thus I have just finished ”Variation under Does, and that would do for one evening; but I should be extreether

What else you say about htens h But how I do run on about my own affairs to you!

I was astonished to see Sir W Hooker's card here two or three days ago: I was unfortunately out walking Henslow, also, has written toto come to Down on the 9th, but alas, I do not return till the 13th, and my wife not till a week later; so that I am also most sorry to think I shall not see you, for I should not like to leave ho down for an hour or two to Kew

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Norfolk House, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, [August] [1858]

My dear Hooker,

I write o

I aed for the correction of style: I find it unutterably difficult to write clearly When we meet I must talk over a few points on the subject

You speak of going to the sea-side somewhere; we think this the nicest seaside place which we have ever seen, and we like Shanklin better than other spots on the south coast of the island, though est your thinking of this place We are on the actual coast; but tastes differ so o to Broadstairs, when there is a strong wind from the coast of France and in fine, dry, eather, look out, and you will PROBABLY (!) see thistle-seeds blown across the Channel The other day I saw one blown right inland, and then in a few minutes a second one and then a third; and I said to myself, God bless me, how many thistles there ination to you But I then looked at the LOW clouds, and noticed that they were not co inland, so I feared a screas loose I then walked beyond a headland, and found the wind parallel to the coast, and on this very headland a noble bed of thistles, which by every wide eddy were blown far out to sea, and then cales to the shore! One day such a nuht to life thirteen species of Coleoptera; not that I suppose these came from France But do you watch for thistle-seed as you saunter along the coast

CHARLES DARWIN TO ASA GRAY August 11th [1858]

My dear Gray,

Your note of July 27th has just reached reat pleasure to me to write to you about rateful dog, after all the invaluable assistance you have renderedwhich you asked

I have discussed in ration, and I will here give you an ABSTRACT of an ABSTRACT (which latter I a of my whole work for the Linnean Society)