I845-] MUTABILITY OF SPECIES. 391 



letter till to-morrow, for I am tired ; but I so enjoy writing 

 to you, that I must inflict a little more on you. 



Have you any good evidence for absence of insects in 

 small islands ? I found thirteen species in Keeling Atoll. 

 Flies are good fertilizers, and I have seen a microscopic Thrips 

 and a Cecidomya take flight from a flower in the direction of 

 another with pollen adhering to them. In Arctic countries a 

 bee seems to go as far N. as any flower 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Shrewsbury [September, 1845]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, I write a line to say that Cosmos * 

 arrived quite safely [N.B. One sheet came loose in Pt. I.], 

 and to thank you for your nice note. I have just begun the 

 introduction, and groan over the style, which in such parts is 

 full half the battle. How true many of the remarks are (/. e. 

 as far as I can understand the wretched English) on the 

 scenery ; it is an exact expression of one's own thoughts. 



I wish I ever had any books to lend you in return for the 

 many you have lent me. . . . 



All of what you kindly say about my species work does 

 not alter one iota my long self-acknowledged presumption in 

 accumulating facts and speculating on the subject of varia- 

 tion, without having worked out my due share of species. But 

 now for nine years it has been anyhow the greatest amuse- 

 ment to me. 



Farewell, my dear Hooker, I grieve more than you can 

 well believe, over our prospect of so seldom meeting. 



I -have never perceived but one fault in you, and that you 

 have grievously, viz. modesty ; you form an exception to 

 Sydney Smith's aphorism, that merit and modesty have no 

 other connection, except in their first letter. Farewell, 



C. DARWIN. 



* A translation of Humboldt's ' Kosmos.' 

 26 



