CLIMBING AND INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. [1864 



case, though a root creeper), and if I cannot buy young 

 Vanilla I will ask you. I have ordered a leaf-climbing fern, 

 Lygodium. All this work about climbers would hurt my 

 conscience, did I think I could do harder work.* 



[He continued his observations on climbing plants during 

 the prolonged illness from which he suffered in the autumn 

 of 1863, and in the following spring. He wrote to Sir J. D. 

 Hooker, apparently in March 1864 : 



" For several days I have been decidedly better, and what 

 I lay much stress on (whatever doctors say), my brain feels 

 far stronger, and I have lost many dreadful sensations. The 

 hot-house is such an amusement to me, and my amusement 

 I owe to you, as my delight is to look at the many odd 

 leaves and plants from Kew. . . . The only approach to 

 work which I can do is to look at tendrils and climbers, this 

 does not distress my weakened brain. Ask Oliver to look 

 over the enclosed queries (and do you look) and amuse a 

 broken-down brother naturalist by answering any which he 

 can. If you ever lounge through your houses, remember me 

 and climbing plants." 



On October 29, 1864, he wrote to Dr. Gray : 



" I have not been able to resist doing a little more at your 

 godchild, my climbing paper, or rather in size little book, 

 which by Jove I will have copied out, else I shall never stop. 

 This has been new sort of work for me, and I have been 

 pleased to find what a capital guide for observations a full 

 conviction of the change of species is." 



On Jan. 19, 1865, he wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker : 



" It is working hours, but I am trying to take a day's 

 holiday, for I finished and despatched yesterday my climbing 

 paper. For the last ten days I have done nothing but correct 

 refractory sentences, and I loathe the whole subject." 



A letter to Dr. Gray, April 9, 1865, has a word or two on 

 the subject : 



" I have begun correcting proofs of my paper on ' Climb- 



* He was much out of health at this time. 



