372 INVOLUTION [Chap. V 



Letter 2S2 at the dinner. Frank came early next morning boiling 

 over with enthusiasm about your speech. You have indeed 

 always been to me a most generous friend ; but I know, 

 alas, too well how greatly you overestimate me. Forgive 

 me for bothering you with these few lines. 



The following extract from a letter (Feb. 10th, 1878) to his old 

 schoolfellow, Mr. J. Price, gives a characteristic remark about the 

 honorary degree. 



" I am very much obliged for your kind congratulations 

 about the LL.D. Why the Senate conferred it on me 

 I know not in the least. I was astonished to hear that 

 the R. Prof, of Divinity and several other great Dons 

 attended, and several such men have subscribed, as I am 

 informed, for the picture for the University to commemorate 

 the honour conferred on me." 



Letter 283 To W. Bowman. 



We have not discovered to what prize the following letter to the 

 late Sir W. Bowman (the well known surgeon) refers. 



Down, Feb 22nd, 1S78. 



1 received your letter this morning, and it was quite 

 impossible that you should receive an answer by 4 p.m. 

 to-day. But this does not signify in the least, for your 

 proposal seems to me a very good one, and I most entirely 

 agree with you that it is far better to suggest some special 

 question rather than to have a general discussion compiled 

 from books. The rule that the Essay must be " illustrative 

 of the wisdom and beneficence of the Almighty " would 

 confine the subjects to be proposed. With respect to the 

 Vegetable Kingdom, I could suggest two or three subjects 

 about which, as it seems to me, information is much 

 required ; but these subjects would require a long course 

 of experiment, and unfortunately there is hardly any 

 one in this country who seems inclined to devote himself 

 to experiments. 



Letter 284 To J- Torbitt. 



Mr. Torbitt was engaged in trying to produce by methodical 

 selection and cross-fertilisation a fungus-proof race of the potato. 

 The plan is fully described in the Life and Letters, III., p. 348. 

 The following letter is given in additional illustration of the keen 

 interest Mr. Darwin took in the project. 



