1 849.] DANA ON CORAL REEFS. 



375 



read the Coral part. To begin with a modest speech, / am 

 astonisJied at my own accuracy ! ! If I were to rewrite now my 

 Coral book there is hardly a sentence I should have to alter, 

 except that I ought to have attributed more effect to recent 

 volcanic action in checking growth of coral. When I say all 

 this I ought to add that the consequences of the theory on 

 areas of subsidence are treated in a separate chapter to which 

 I have not come, and in this, I suspect, we shall differ more. 

 Dana talks of agreeing with my theory in most points ; I can 

 find out not one in which he differs. Considering how 

 infinitely more he saw of Coral Reefs than I did, this is 

 wonderfully satisfactory to me. He treats me most courteously. 

 There now, my vanity is pretty well satisfied. . . . 



C. Darwin to J, D. Hooker. 



Malvern, April gth, 1849. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, The very next morning after posting 

 my last letter (I think on 23rd of March), I received your two 

 interesting gossipaceous and geological letters ; and the latter 

 I have since exchanged with Lyell for his. I will write 

 higglety-pigglety just as subjects occur. I saw the Review 

 in the ' Athenseum,' it was written in an ill-natured spirit ; but 

 the whole virus consisted in saying that there was not novelty 

 enough in your remarks for publication. No one, nowadays, 

 cares for reviews. I may just mention that my Journal got 

 some real good abuse, " presumption," &c. ended with saying 

 that the volume appeared " made up of the scraps and rubbish 

 of the author's portfolio." I most truly enter into what you 

 say, and quite believe you that you care only for the review 

 with respect to your father ; and that this alone would make 

 you like to see extracts from your letters more properly 

 noticed in this same periodical. I have considered to the 

 very best of my judgment whether any portion of your present 

 letters are adapted for the ' Athenaeum ' (in which I have no 



