CHAPTER XLII 



RETIREMENT, TO 1897 : DARWINIANA AND OTHER 

 SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS 



DURING 1886 and 1887, as the Life of Charles Darwin was 

 advancing towards completion, Hooker had much correspond- 

 ence with (Sir) Francis Darwin, reading the first proofs and 

 making various notes and suggestions out of his close know- 

 ledge of his old friend's work, and the scientific circles of the 

 time. One note is of interest for all biographers, and in this 

 direction, the Life, when published, left nothing to be desired. 



I thirk you have rather a paucity of footnotes referring 

 to men's position, works, &c. Eemember how little the 

 next generation will think of E. Forbes, Hancock 1 and many 

 great Guns of your father's lifetime. It added enormously 

 to the interest of the life of Lyell to be told in footnotes 

 who even the now second-class workers were of whom he 

 spoke, and who were luminaries in his day. 



The question was raised as to Darwin's purpose in spending 

 eight years upon his monograph of the Cirripedes. 



To F. Darwin 



Dec. 31, 1885. 



MY DEAR FRANK, When I can get at the letters I may 

 find something that will throw light on the question you 

 raise but I am helpless till my Library is shelved and 

 painted, when I shall bring down the letters, which, with 

 my books, are all in boxes at Kew, waiting. 



1 Albany Hancock (1806-73), zoologist. Received the Royal Society's 

 medal for his paper on ' The Organisation of Brachiopoda,' 1857 ; F.L.S. 1862 ; 

 collaborated also in works on Mollusca. 



