WCP2847

[1] [p. 82]

SIR J. HOOKER TO A. R. WALLACE

The Camp, Sunningdale. November 12, 1905.

My dear Wallace, — My return from a short holiday at Sidmouth last Thursday was greeted by your kind and welcome letter and a copy of your "Life." The latter was, I assure you, never expected, knowing as I do the demand for free copies that such a work inflicts on the writer. In fact I had put it down as one of the annual Christmas gifts of books that I received from my own family. Coming, as it thus did, quite unexpectedly, it is doubly welcome, and I do heartily thank you for this proof of your greatly valued friendship. It will prove to be one of four works of greatest interest to me of any published since Darwin's "Origin," the others being Waddell's "Lhasa," Scott's "Antarctic Voyage," and Mill's "Siege of the South Pole."

I have not seen Clodd's edition of Bates's "Amazon," which I have put down as to be got, and I had no idea that I should have appeared in it. Your citation of my letters and their contents are like dreams to me; but to [2] tell you the truth, I am getting dull of memory as well as of hearing, and what is worse, in reading: what goes in at one eye goes out at the other. So I am getting to realise Darwin's consolation of old age, that it absolves me from being expected to know, rememberm or reason upon new facts and discoveries. And this must apply to your query as to anyone having as yet answered de Vries. I cannot remember having seen any answer; only criticisms of a discontinuous sort. I cannot for a moment entertain the idea that Darwin ever assented to the proposition that new species have always been produced from mutation and never through normal variability. Possibly there is some quibble on the definition of mutation or of variation. The Americans are prone to believe any new things, witness their swallowing the thornless cactus produced by that man in California — I forget his name — which Kew exposed by asking for specimens to exhibit in the Cactus House.... — I am, my dear Wallace, sincerely yours, | JOS. D. HOOKER.

[1] [p. 459]

To A. R. Wallace

The Camp, Sunningdale:¹ November 12, 1905.

MY DEAR WALLACE, — My return from a short holiday at Sidmouth² last Thursday was greeted by your kind and [2] [p. 460] welcome letter and copy of your 'Life.'³ The latter was, I assure you, never expected, knowing as I do the demand for free copies that such a work inflicts on the author. In fact I had put it down as one of the annual Xmas gifts of books that I receive from my own family. Coming as it thus did quite unexpectedly, it is doubly welcome and I do heartily thank you for this proof of your greatly valued warm friendship. It will prove to be one of four works of greater interest to me than any published since Darwin's⁴ 'Origin';⁵ the others being Waddell's⁶ 'Lhassa,'[sic]⁷ Scott's⁸ 'Antarctic Voyage,'⁹ and Mill's¹⁰ Siege of the South Pole.'¹¹

I have not seen Clodd's Edition¹² of Bates's¹³ 'Amazon,'¹⁴ which I have put down as to be got, and I had no idea that I should have appeared in it.¹⁵ Your citations of my letters and their contents are like dreams to me; for to tell the truth, I am getting dull of memory as well as of hearing, and what is worse, in reading, what goes in at one eye goes out at the other. So I am getting to realise Darwin's consolation of Old Age, that it absolves me from being expected to know, remember, or reason upon new facts and discoveries. And this must apply to your query as to any one having as yet answered De Vries.¹⁶ I cannot remember having seen any answer, only criticisms of a discontinuous sort. I cannot for a moment entertain the idea that Darwin ever assented to the proposition that new species have always been produced from mutation and never through normal variability. Possibly there is some quibble as to the definition of mutation or of variation. The Americans are prone to believe any new things, witness their swallowing the thornless Cactus produced by that man in California, I forget his name (Harland?)¹⁷ which Kew¹⁸ exposed by asking for specimens to exhibit in the Cactus House.

I have been for years working at the Indian species of Impatiens,¹⁹ the distribution of which is unparalleled amongst Indian phanerogams.²⁰ One species alone, the indigenous Garden Balsam,²¹ is found in most parts of India. Of the rest, some 200 species, most by far are strictly limited to geographical [3] [p. 461] areas. The species are wonderfully constant though insect fertilised and are most demonstrably (to appearances) dependent for their creation, variation, &c. on Insect action. I am sending you the published part of an epitome of the species,²² the object of which is to draw collectors' attention in India to the necessity of observing as well as collecting.