^T. 48.] TO W. J. HOOKER. 449 



that is, sometimes for whole female organ, sometimes 

 for its ovule-bearing portion. Pray do not add a 

 third ; and so when you speak of ovary iu Clematis 

 leave us to gather, from the context, whether you 

 mean, (1) the whole gynsecium ; (2) a separate pis- 

 til ; or, (3) the ovuliferous portion of a pistil. 



Hooker calls my judgment about root and radicle 

 " a flippant snub " ! I beg a thousand pardons, and 

 had no intention to be flippant or dogmatical, but 

 simply to record a fact. For mistake, pray read take. 

 My thanks for his letter of December 8th ; wiU write 

 him soon. 



February 2, 1859. 



I wish I had now your paper on geographical dis- 

 tribution, while I am working up the relations of the 

 Japan flora in this respect. Where is Agardh's paper 

 pu.blished, and what does it amount to ? . . . 



I cannot answer Dr. Hooker's exceedingly interest- 

 ing letter about theoretical ancient distribution of 

 plants this week. TeU him I shall have some evi- 

 dence which wiU come well into his views as to north 

 temperate zone. 



TO W. J. HOOKEB. 



January 24, 1859. 



I hope soon to hear that Government wiU acquire 

 your herbarium, and make bountiful provision for its 

 increase and maintenance. After all Brown's genius, 

 you have done more for botany than a dozen Browns, 

 and made a hundredfold more sacrifices and efforts. 

 To you, and to your son, England and the botanical 

 world owe the greatest debt of gratitude, — a debt 

 which I hope wiU continue to accumulate a long time 

 yet. . . . 



