460 THE UNFINISHED BOOK. [1858. 



seems to me feebly analogous to embryonic resemblances in 

 young animals, as, for instance, the young lion being striped. 

 I shall ask you whether this is so.* . . . 



Dr. Lane \ and wife, and mother-in-law, Lady Drysdale, 

 are some of the nicest people I have ever met. 



I return home on the 30th. Good-bye, my dear Hooker. 



Ever yours, 



C. Darwin. 



[Here follows a group of letters, of various dates, bearing 

 on the question of large genera varying.] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



March nth [1858]. 



I was led to all this work by a remark of Fries, that the 

 species in large genera were more closely related to each 

 other than in small genera; and if this were so, seeing that 

 varieties and species are so hardly distinguishable, I concluded 

 that I should find more varieties in the large genera than in 

 the small. . . . Some day I hope you will read my short 

 discussion on the whole subject. You have done me infinite 

 service, whatever opinion I come to, in drawing my attention 

 to at least the possibility or the probability of botanists record- 

 ing more varieties in the large than in the small genera. It 

 will be hard work for me to be candid in coming to my con- 

 clusion. 



Ever yours, most truly, 



C. Darwin. 



P. S. — I shall be several weeks at my present job. The 

 work has been turning out badly for me this morning, and I 

 am sick at heart ; and, oh ! how I do hate species and varieties. 



* See ' Power of Movements in Plants,' p. 414. 

 f The physician at Moor Park. 



