1886 LETTERS TO HOOKER 



ISI 



I shall have to verify lots of statements about gentians I have 

 not seen, but at present the general results are very curious and 

 interesting. The species fall into four groups, one primary least 

 differentiated — three, specialised. 



1. Lobes of corolla fringed. 2. Coronate. 3. Interlobate 

 (i.e. not the " plica " between the proper petals). 



Now the interesting point is that the Antarctic species are 

 all primary and so are the great majority of the Andean forms. 

 Lutea is the only old-world primary, unless the Himalayan 

 Moorcroftiana belongs here. The Arctic forms are also primary, 

 but the petals more extensively united. 



The specialised types are all Arctogeal with the exception of 

 half a dozen or so Andean species including prostrata. 



There is a strange general parallelism with the cray-fishes ! 

 which also have their primary forms in Australia and New 

 Zealand, avoid E. S. America and Africa, and become most dif- 

 ferentiated in Arctogsea. But there are also differences in 

 detail. 



It strikes me that this is uncommonly interesting; but, of 

 course, all the information about the structure of the flowers, 

 etc., I get at second hand, wants verifying. 



Have you done the gentians of your Flora Indica yet? Do 

 look at them from this point of view. 



I cannot make out what Grisebach means by his division of 

 Chondrophylla. What is a " cartilaginous " margin to a leaf ? — 

 " Folia margine cartilaginea ! " He has a lot of Indian sp. under 

 this head. 



I send you a rough scheme I have drawn up. Please let me 

 have it back. Any annotations thankfully received. Shan't 

 apologise for bothering you. 



I hope the pension is settled at last. — Ever yours, 



T. H. Huxley. 



4 Marlborough Place, Sept. 22, 1886. 

 My dear Hooker — I have written to Lubbock a long screed 

 stating my views * with unmistakable distinctness as politeful 

 as may be, and asking him, if he thought well, to send them on 

 to whomsoever it may concern. As old Gutzlaff f used to say 

 when he wanted to get evidence from a Chinee — " Gif him four 



* Referring to the relations between the S. K. department and the 

 City and Guilds Committee on Technical Education. 

 f See p. 141. 



