IO2 THE UNFINISHED BOOK. [1857. 



I believe I can plainly see the colouring and marks of the 

 grandfather of the Ass, Horse, Quagga, Hemionus and Zebra, 

 some millions of generations ago ! Should not I [have] 

 sneer[ed] at any one who made such a remark to me a few 

 years ago ; but my evidence seems to me so good that I shall 

 publish my vision at the end of my little discussion on this 

 genus. 



I have of late inundated you with my notions, you best of 



friends and philosophers. 



Adios, 



C. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Moor Park, Farnham, June 25th [1857]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, This requires no answer, but I will 

 ask you whenever we meet. Look at enclosed seedling 

 gorses, especially one with the top knocked off. The leaves 

 succeeding the cotyledons being almost clover-like in shape, 

 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. Lanef and wife, and mother-in-law, Lady Drysdale, 

 are some of the nicest people I have ever met. 



I return home on the 3oth. 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 



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

 t The physician at Moor Park. 



