498 THE WRITING OF THE ' ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1858. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hcoker. 



Down, Dec. 24th [1858]. 



My dear Hooker, — Your news about your unsolicited 

 salary and house is jolly, and creditable to the Government. 

 My room (28 X 19), with divided room above, with all fixtures 

 (and painted), not furniture, and plastered outside, cost about 

 ^"500. I am heartily glad of this news. 



Your facts about distribution are, indeed, very striking. 

 I remember well that none of your many wonderful facts in 

 your several works, perplexed me, for years, more than the 

 migration having been mainly from north to south, and not 

 in the reverse direction. I have now at last satisfied myself 

 (but that is very different from satisfying others) on this 

 head ; but it would take a little volume to fully explain my- 

 self. I did not for long see the bearing of a conclusion, at 

 which I had arrived, with respect to this subject. It is, that 

 species inhabiting a very large area, and therefore existing in 

 large numbers, and which have been subjected to the severest 

 competition with many other forms, will have arrived, through 

 natural selection, at a higher stage of perfection than the in- 

 habitants of a small area. Thus I explain the fact of so many 

 anomalies, or what may be called " living fossils," inhabiting 

 now only fresh water, having been beaten out, and extermi- 

 nated in the sea, by more improved forms ; thus all existing 

 Ganoid fishes are fresh water, as [are] Lepidosiren and 

 Ornithorhynchus, &c. The plants of Europe and Asia, as 

 being the largest territory, I look at as the most " improved," 

 and therefore as being able to withstand the less-perfected 

 Australian plants ; though these could not resist the Indian. 

 See how all the productions of New Zealand yield to those of 

 Europe. I dare say you will think all this utter bosh, but I 

 believe it to be solid truth. 



You will, I think, admit that Australian plants, flourishing 

 so in India, is no argument that they could hold their own 

 against the ten thousand natural contingencies of other plants, 

 insects, animals, &c, &c. With respect to South West Australia 



