18591863] FALCONER 211 



and tarsal bones. 1 Descent from an intermediate form, Letter 145 

 Ahem ! 



Well, all I can say is that I have not been for a long time 

 more interested with a paper than with yours. It gives me a 

 demoniacal chuckle to think of Owen's pleasant countenance 

 when he reads it. 



I have not been in London since the end of September ; 

 when I do come 1 will beat up your quarters if I possibly 

 can ; but I do not know what has come over me. I am worse 

 than ever in bearing any excitement. Even talking of an 

 evening for less than two hours has twice recently brought on 

 such violent vomiting and trembling that I dread coming up 

 to London. I hear that you came out strong at Cambridge, 2 

 and am heartily glad you attacked the Australian Mastodon. 

 I never did or could believe in him. I wish you would read 

 my little Primula paper in the Linnean Journal, Vol. VI. 

 Botany (No. 22), p. 77 (I have no copy which I can spare), as 

 I think there is a good chance that you may have observed 

 similar cases. This is my real hobby-horse at present. I 

 have re-tested this summer the functional difference of the 

 two forms in Primula, and find all strictly accurate. If 

 you should know of any cases analogous, pray inform me. 

 Farewell, my good and kind friend. 



To J. D. Hooker. Letter 146 



The following letter is interesting in connection with a letter 

 addressed to Sir J. D. Hooker, March 26th, 1862, No. 136, where the 

 value of Natural Selection is stated more strongly by Sir Joseph than by 

 Darwin. It is unfortunate that Sir Joseph's letter, to which this is a 

 reply, has not been found. 



1 Op. cit. p. 353. A reference to Cuvier's instance "of the secret 

 relation between the upper canine-shaped incisors of the camel and the 

 bones of the tarsus." 



2 Prof. Owen, in a communication to the British Association at 

 Cambridge (1862) " On a tooth of Mastodon from the Tertiary marls, 

 near Shanghai," brought forward the case of the Australian Mastodon as 

 a proof of the remarkable geographical distribution of the Proboscidia. 

 In a subsequent discussion he frankly abandoned it, in consequence of the 

 doubts then urged regarding its authenticity. (See footnote, p. 101, in 

 Falconer's paper " On the American Fossil Elephant," Nat. Hist 

 Review, 1863.) 



