74 ' VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION.' [lS6/. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, November 17 [1867]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, Congratulate me, for I have finished 

 the last revise of the last sheet of my book. It has been an 

 awful job : seven and a half months correcting the press : the 

 book, from much small type, does not look big, but is really 

 very big. I have had hard work to keep up to the mark, but 

 during the last week only few revises came, so that I have 

 rested and feel more myself. Hence, after our long mutual 

 silence, I enjoy myself by writing a note to you, for the sake 

 of exhaling, and hearing from you. On account of the 

 index,* I do not suppose that you will receive your copy till 

 the middle of next month. I shall be intensely anxious to 

 hear what you think about Pangenesis ; though I can see how 

 fearfully imperfect, even in mere conjectural conclusions, it is ; 

 yet it has been an infinite satisfaction to me somehow to 

 connect the various large groups of facts, which I have long 

 considered, by an intelligible thread. I shall not be at all 

 surprised if you attack it and me with unparalleled ferocity. 

 It will be my endeavour to do as little as possible for some time, 

 but [I] shall soon prepare a paper or two for the Linnean 

 Society. In a short time we shall go to London for ten 

 days, but the time is not yet fixed. Now I have told you a 

 deal about myself, and do let me hear a good deal about your 

 own past and future doings. Can you pay us a visit, early in 

 December ?....! have seen no one for an age, and heard 

 no news. 



. . . About my book I will give you a bit of advice. Skip 

 the whole of Vol. L, except the last chapter (and that need 

 only be skimmed) and skip largely in the 2nd volume ; and 

 then you will say it is a very good book. 



* The index was made by Mr. my father express his admiration 

 W. S. Dallas ; I have often heard of this excellent piece of work. 



