To J. D. Hooker   [21 November 1845]¹

My dear Hooker

Thanks for your two notes & kind invitations to Kew: I am sure you will believe me, when I say what true pleasure it w^d have given me & at present I am unusually well, but I have such an accumulation of work, (partly common business & partly scientific shell-work for Geology every morning) that I doubt whether I shall get it done much under a week.— On my return home, I was (& am) going to ask you, whether you will not spare a Sunday & pay us a visit I w^d send my Phaeton to meet you at the Sydenham Station in time for our dinner on Saturday & send you back on Monday or Tuesday.— I intend asking Forbes & Falconer if they will spare the time, & I do heartily hope you will be able to come, we c^d have some fine Nat. Hist talk.

Pray never answer my Nat. Hist. questions & discussions, except when at leisure & so inclined, otherwise my conscience must prevent my writing.— Thanks for your most generous offer about Webb;² I wished for a copy to save myself the labour of writing out notes: I have sent to Paris to know price, & if dear, I will so far accept your offer, as to make faint pencil marks & then in a year or two beg the loan of it again just to skim through my marked passages.— I am particularly obliged for your information about Henslow, & I will beat up his quarters, if I can, today.— I feel sure I sh^d. not be able to tell you anything about my Galapagos plants, as my numbers are gone, otherwise, of course, I w^d make a point of coming to Kew on purpose.— I think of returning either on Tuesday or Thursday home.—

Very many thanks for your information & again, thanks for your kind invitation Yours ever in Haste | C. Darwin