which I am only just done with. As
I expected, the number of species common to N. America is considerably
increased in this collection, as also the number of closely
representative species in the two, and a pretty considerable number of
European species too. I have packed off my MSS. (though I hardly know
what will become of it), or I would refer you to some illustrations. The
greater part of the identical species (of Japan and N. America) are of
those extending to or belonging to N.W. coast of America, but there
are several peculiar to Japan and E. U. States: e.g. our Viburnum
lantanoides is one of Thunberg's species. De Candolle's remarkable case
of Phryma, which he so dwells upon, turns out, as Dr. Hooker said
it would, to be only one out of a great many cases of the same sort.
(Hooker brought Monotropa uniflora, you know, from the Himalayas; and
now, by the way, I have it from almost as far south, i.e., from St. Fee,
New Granada)...

Well, I never meant to draw any conclusions at all, and am very sorry
that the only one I was beguiled into should "rile" (338/2. "One of your
conclusions makes me groan, viz., that the line of connection of the
strictly alpine plants is through Greenland. I should extremely like
to see your reasons published in detail, for it 'riles' me (this is a
proper expression, is it not?) dreadfully" (Darwin to Gray, January 1st,
1857, "Life and Letters," II., page 89).) you, as you say it does,--that
on page 73 of my second article: for if it troubles you it is not likely
to be sound. Of course I had no idea of laying any great stress upon the
fact (at first view so unexpected to me) that one-third of our alpine
species common to Europe do not reach the Arctic circle; but the remark
which I put down was an off-hand inference from what you geologists seem
to have settled--viz., that the northern regions must have been a deal
cooler than they are now--the northern limit of vegetation therefore
much lower than now--about the epoch when it would seem probable that
the existing species of our plants were created. At any rate, during
the Glacial period there could have been no phaenogamous plants on our
continent anywhere near the polar regions; and it seems a good rule to
look in the first place for the cause or reason of what now is, in that
which immediately preceded. I don't see that Greenland could help us
much, but if there was any interchange of species between N. America and
N. Europe in thos