From J. D. Hooker   7 January 1875

Jany 7/75

Dear Darwin

The Drosophyllum goes to day, with full instructions about being forwarded by Messenger.1

I dined with Tyndall Hirst & Spencer at the Athenæum & put the matter of my writing to Mivart before them, & they also most strongly dissuaded me from doing so in any shape, on the ground of the Presidentship.2 All I can say is that I am excessively sorry that I did not think of this myself, before saying anything about it, to you especially— I know well that you & George will not think the worse of me for it—but still I am vexed—

Their opinion is that without cutting him direct I should avoid him, & if he speaks to me should let him feel it: This of course I shall do

Ever yr affec | J D Hooker

1
Hooker had acquired a specimen of Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Portuguese sundew or dewy pine) from Edinburgh (see letter from J. D. Hooker, 3 January [1875] and n. 4). CD had given instructions on sending it in his letter to Hooker of 22 December 1874 (Correspondence vol. 22).
2
Hooker was president of the Royal Society of London. He had consulted John Tyndall, Thomas Archer Hirst, and Herbert Spencer at the Athenaeum Club in London about what action he should take over an attack by St George Jackson Mivart on George Howard Darwin ([Mivart] 1874, p. 70; see Correspondence vol. 22, Appendix V). Tyndall and Hirst were fellows of the Royal Society.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9807,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9807