To J. D. Hooker   28 September [1856]1

Down Bromley Kent

Sept. 28th

My dear Hooker

I suppose you will soon be home: at first you will be very busy, but after a little time, I shd. glad, if you could by giving orders to any assistant send me some dozen or so capsules with some stalk & leaves (ripe or nearly ripe) of any water plants, named in pencil, to try floating powers in sea-water.2

I have been trying in vain to get Callitriche verna & Montia fontana, which wd. be very good being such wide rangers.

If you can send me any, please send them any day, addressed diag C. Darwin

care of Mr Acton

Post Office

Bromley

Kent

(Per Coach.)ramme

In the course of some weeks, you unfortunate wretch, you will have my M.S. on one point of Geograph. Distribution—3 I will, however, never ask such a favour again; but in regard to this one piece of M.S. it is of infinite importance to me for you to see it; for never in my life have I felt such difficulty what to do, & I heartily wish I could slur the whole subject over.—

I hope your tour has answered in every way. I wrote to you at Vienna.4 With kindest remembrances to Mrs Hooker, Ever yours | C. Darwin

We shall meet at Phil. Club on 16th.—5

1
Dated by the reference to CD’s manuscript on geographical distribution, which was completed in October 1856 (‘Journal’; Appendix II).
2
The list has not been preserved. The plants required were probably those mentioned in letter to J. D. Hooker, 26 [July 1856].
3
The forty pages of manuscript relating to geographical distribution (Natural selection, chapter 11) that CD wanted Hooker to read (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 13 July [1856]).
5
Both Hooker and CD attended the 16 October meeting of the Philosophical Club (Royal Society Philosophical Club minutes).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 with some stalk & leaves] interl
3.1 any day,] after del ‘early on a Wednesday, addressed’
4.1 In] after del illeg
4.1 on one … Distribution 4.2] interl
4.3 in regard to] interl
5.1 your] over ‘vy’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1963,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1963