246 MISCELLANEA (continued]. [1881. 



to myself your remarks on one point (I hope in some degree 

 correctly) in the following fashion : 



Any character of an ancient, generalised, or intermediate 

 form may, and often does, re-appear in its descendants, after 

 countless generations, and this explains the extraordinarily 

 complicated affinities of existing groups. This idea seems 

 to me to throw a flood of light on the lines, sometimes used 

 to represent affinities, which radiate in all directions, often to 

 very distant sub-groups, a difficulty which has haunted me 

 for half a century. A strong case could be made out in favour 

 of believing in such reversion after immense intervals of time. 

 I wish the idea had been put into my head in old days, for I 

 shall never again write on difficult subjects, as I have seen too 

 many cases of old men becoming feeble in their minds, without 

 being in the least conscious of it. If I have interpreted your 

 ideas at all correctly, I hope that you will re-urge, on any fitting 

 occasion, your view. I have mentioned it to a few persons 

 capable of judging, and it seemed quite new to them. I beg 

 you to forgive the proverbial garrulity of old age. 



C. D." 



[The following letter refers to Sir J. D. Hooker's Geo- 

 graphical address at the York Meeting (1881) of the British 

 Association : ] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, August 6, 1881. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, For Heaven's sake never speak of 

 boring me, as it would be the greatest pleasure to aid you in 

 the slightest degree and your letter has interested me ex- 

 ceedingly. I will go through your points seriatim, but I have 

 never attended much to the history of any subject, and my 

 memory has become atrociously bad. It will therefore be a 

 mere chance whether any of my remarks are of any use. 



