To J. D. Hooker   22 [March 1862]1

Down

22d

My dear Hooker

This is the last time, I fully believe, that I shall trouble you to correct names of two Calanthes.—2 I wrote to you at Ld. Powis’.3 I suppose you forwarded to me this morning a note from Asa Gray:4 it contained nothing, but ends “Yours cordially” so I hope to Heaven I am forgiven.—

My Catasetum paper is to be read by me on April 3d. I have had some diagrams made.—5

I am so consumedly sick of correcting my orchid Book.— | Farewell. C. Darwin

The plants & seeds arrived all safe & will be of greatest use; especially Lythrum, which seems from Vaucher a grand case of Trimorphism.—6 What sort of man is Vaucher? I have just got 4 awful vols.— phys. Hist. of Plants of Europe.—7

1
The date is established by the reference to Hooker’s visit to the home of Lord Powis (see n. 3, below) and by CD’s references to his publications (see nn. 2 and 5, below).
2
For Hooker’s reply, see the letter from J. D. Hooker, [23–5 March 1862]. CD was checking the species names of orchids in the process of correcting proofs of Orchids. See also letter to J. D. Hooker, [1 March – 15 May 1862].
3
Letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 March [1862]. Hooker was staying at Walcot Hall in Shropshire as the guest of Edward James Herbert, third earl of Powis (see letter from J. D. Hooker, 17 March 1862).
5
See letters to Richard Kippist, 18 March [1862].
6
Vaucher 1841, 2: 370–1.
7
There is an annotated copy of Vaucher 1841 in the Darwin Library–CUL (see Marginalia 1: 812–15).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.1 3d] before omitted point

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3481,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3481