Volume I Part 46 (1/2)

I cannot give you facts, and I h I do not feel so on any point I may just mention, in order that you may believe that I have SOME foundation for h he at first demurred to my main point, he has since told me that further reflection and new facts have made hie (a little BEFORE the Glacial epoch) the teher; of this there can be little doubt; the land, on a LARGE SCALE, heldfrom shells, what they are now At this period when all anirees nearer the poles, I believe the northern part of Siberia and of North A almost CONTINUOUS, were peopled (it is quite possible, considering the shalloater, that Behring Straits were united, perhaps a little southward) by a nearly uniforions now are The cliradually colder till it became what it now is; and then the temperate parts of Europe and Aration is concerned, just as they now are

Then cas;peopled with Arctic productions; as the warmth returned, the Arctic productions slowly crawled up the mountains as they became denuded of snow; andsee on their summits the remnants of a once continuous flora and fauna This is E

Forbes' theory, which, however, I may add, I had written out four years before he published

Solacial and the present tereater war to my modification-doctrines, I look at many of the species of North A become modified since the Pliocene period, when in the northern part of the world there was nearly free communication between the old and neorlds But now comes a more iical evidence that during the Glacial epoch the whole world was colder; I inferred that, o, from erratic boulder phenomena carefully observed by me on both the east and west coast of South Aht of the Glacial epoch, AND WHEN ALL TROPICAL PRODUCTIONS MUST HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY DISTRESSED, that several temperate forms slowly travelled into the heart of the Tropics, and even reached the southern hemisphere; and some few southern forhts of Borneo with Australian forms, Abyssinia with Cape forration would have been immensely facilitated; hence the European character of the plants of Tierra del Fuego and summits of Cordilleras; hence ditto on Himalaya As the temperature rose, all the temperate intruders would crawl up the herries, Ceylon, suan Mountains of Brazil But these intruders being surrounded with new forms would be very liable to be improved or modified by natural selection, to adapt them to the new forms hich they had to compete; hence most of the forms on the mountains of the Tropics are not identical, but REPRESENTATIVE forms of North temperate plants

There are similar classes of facts in marine productions All this will appear very rash to you, and rash it may be; but I am sure not so rash as it will at first appear to you: Hooker could not stoely a convert From mammalia and shallow sea, I believe japan to have been joined to ration north and south before, during, and after the Glacial epoch would act on japan, as on the corresponding latitude of China and the United States

I should beyond anything like to knohether you have any Alpine collections from japan, and what is their character This letter is miserably expressed, but perhaps it will suffice to shohat I believe have been the later es of temperature

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER [Down] October 6th, 1858

If you have or can make leisure, I should very much like to hear news of Mrs Hooker, yourself, and the children Where did you go, and what did you do and are doing? There is a comprehensive text

You cannot tell how I enjoyed your little visit here, it did ood If Harvey is still with you, pray re rows to an inordinate length; yet fully tobrieflyover difficulties), I cannot make it shorter It will yet take h never idle You cannot i ot all clear, it has clarified h the relative i with much interest your (as I believe it to be) capital memoir of R Brown in the ”Gardeners' Chronicle”

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Down, October 12th, [1858]

I have sent eight copies (Of the joint paper by C Darwin and AR

Wallace) by post to Wallace, and will keep the others for him, for I could not think of any one to send any to

I pray you not to pronounce too strongly against Natural Selection, till you have read h I dare say you will strike out MANY difficulties, which have never occurred to ht so fully on the subject as I have

I expect my Abstract will run into a small volume, which will have to be published separately

What a splendid lot of work you have in hand

Ever yours, C DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Down, October 13th [1858]

I have been a little vexed at ly against Natural Selection” I ah I have been much interested by your note in answer

I wrote the sentence without reflection But the truth is, that I have so accusto quizzed by my non-naturalist relations, to expect opposition and even conte soul from whom I have constantly received syet for even a minute how much assistance I have received from you You are quite correct that I never even suspected that ht, until quite lately, that ered eneral ter to dear old Falconer, who soo once told me that I should do ood, [and] that I had half spoiled you already! All this is stupid egotistical stuff, and I write it only because youvalued and understood your sympathy; which God knows is not the case It is an accursed evil to a man to become so absorbed in any subject as I am in mine

I was in London yesterday for a few hours with Falconer, and he gave e offar back in tirand fact of soe molar tooth in the Trias