39 2 THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1860. 



the subject has made ; look at the enclosed memorandum.* 



says my book will be forgotten in ten years, perhaps so ; 



t>ut, with such a list, I feel convinced the subject will not. 

 The outsiders, as you say, are strong. 



You say that you think that Bentham is touched, "but, 

 like a wise man, holds his tongue." Perhaps you only mean 

 .that he cannot decide, otherwise I should think such silence 

 the reverse of magnanimity ; for if others behaved the same 

 way, how would opinion ever progress ? It is a dereliction of 

 actual duty.f 



I am so glad to hear about Thwaites.ij: ... I have had an 

 astounding letter from Dr. Boott ; it might be turned into 

 ;ridicule against him and me, so I will not send it to any one. 

 He writes in a noble spirit of love of truth. 



I wonder what Lindley thinks ; probably too busy to read 

 or think on the question. 



I am vexed about Bentham's reticence, for it would have 

 been of real value to know what parts appeared weakest to a 

 man of his powers of observation. 



Farewell, my dear Hooker, yours affectionately, 



C. DARWIN. 



P.S. Is not Harvey in the class of men who do not at all 

 care for generalities ? I remember your saying you could 



* See table of names, p. 293. of the Botanic Gardens at Pera- 



t In a subsequent letter to Sir deniya, which he made "the most 



J. D. Hooker (March I2th, 1860), beautiful tropical garden in the 



my father wrote, " I now quite un- world." He is best known through 



derstand Bentham's silence." his important discovery of conjuga- 



J Dr. G. H. K. Thwaites, F.R.S., tion in the Diatomaceae (1847). His 



was born in 1 8 1 1 , or about that date, ' Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylanias ' 



and died in Ceylon, September n, (1858-64) was "the first complete 



1882. He began life as a Notary, account, on modern lines, of any 



tmt his passion for Botany and definitely circumscribed tropical 



Entomology ultimately led to his area." (From a notice in ' Nature,' 



taking to Science as a profession. October 26, 1882.) 



He became lecturer on Botany at The letter is enthusiastically 



the Bristol School of Medicine, and laudatory, and obviously full of 



in 1849 he was appointed Director genuine feeling. 



