would soon kill seeds.
Reflect that there is not a coral islet in the ocean which is not pretty
well clothed with plants, and the fewness of the species can hardly
with justice be attributed to the arrival of few seeds, for coral islets
close to other land support only the same limited vegetation. Remember
that no one knew that seeds would remain for many hours in the crops of
birds and retain their vitality; that fish eat seeds, and that when the
fish are devoured by birds the seeds can germinate, etc. Remember that
every year many birds are blown to Madeira and to the Bermudas. Remember
that dust is blown 1,000 miles over the Atlantic. Now, bearing all this
in mind, would it not be a prodigy if an unstocked island did not in the
course of ages receive colonists from coasts whence the currents flow,
trees are drifted and birds are driven by gales. The objections to
islands being thus stocked are, as far as I understand, that certain
species and genera have been more freely introduced, and others less
freely than might have been expected. But then the sea kills some sorts
of seeds, others are killed by the digestion of birds, and some would
be more liable than others to adhere to birds' feet. But we know so very
little on these points that it seems to me that we cannot at all tell
what forms would probably be introduced and what would not. I do not for
a moment pretend that these means of introduction can be proved to
have acted; but they seem to me sufficient, with no valid or heavy
objections, whilst there are, as it seems to me, the heaviest objections
on geological and on geographical distribution grounds (pages 387, 388,
"Origin" (366/4. Edition III., or Edition VI., page 323.) to Forbes'
enormous continental extensions. But I fear that I shall and have bored
you.

LETTER 367. J.D. HOOKER TO CHARLES DARWIN.

(367/1. In a letter of July 31st, Sir J.D. Hooker wrote, "You must not
suppose me to be a champion of continental connection, because I am not
agreeable to trans-oceanic migration...either hypothesis appears to
me well to cover the facts of oceanic floras, but there are grave
objections to both, botanical to yours, geological to Forbes'.")

The following interesting letters give some of Sir Joseph's
difficulties.)

Kew, August 4th, 1866.

You mention ("Journal") no land-birds, except introduced, upon St.
Helena. Beatson (Introduction xvii) mentions one (367/2. Aegialitis
sanctae-helenae, a small plover