and I remember you screamed at me when I suggested this a
propos of Papilionaceae in New Zealand, and of the statement about
clover not seeding there till the hive-bee was introduced, as I stated
in my paper in "Gard. Chronicle." (376/6. "In an old number of the
"Gardeners' Chronicle" an extract is given from a New Zealand newspaper
in which much surprise is expressed that the introduced clover never
seeded freely until the hive-bee was introduced." "On the Agency of Bees
in the Fertilisation of Papilionaceous Flowers..." ("Gard. Chron." 1858,
page 828). See Letter 362, note.) I have been these last few days vexed
and annoyed to a foolish degree by hearing that my MS. on Domestic
Animals, etc., will make two volumes, both bigger than the "Origin." The
volumes will have to be full-sized octavo, so I have written to Murray
to suggest details to be printed in small type. But I feel that the size
is quite ludicrous in relation to the subject. I am ready to swear at
myself and at every fool who writes a book.

LETTER 377. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, January 15th [1867].

Thanks for your jolly letter. I have read your second article (377/1.
The lecture on Insular Floras was published in instalments in the
"Gardeners' Chronicle," January 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, 1867.), and like
it even more than the first, and more than this I cannot say. By mere
chance I stumbled yesterday on a passage in Humboldt that a violet grows
on the Peak of Teneriffe in common with the Pyrenees. If Humboldt is
right that the Canary Is. which lie nearest to the continent have a much
stronger African character than the others, ought you not just to allude
to this? I do not know whether you admit, and if so allude to, the view
which seems to me probable, that most of the genera confined to the
Atlantic islands (I do not say the species) originally existed in, and
were derived from, Europe, [and have] become extinct on this continent.
I should thus account for the community of peculiar genera in the
several Atlantic islands. About the Salvages is capital. (377/2. The
Salvages are rocky islets about midway between Madeira and the Canaries;
and they have an Atlantic flora, instead of, as might have been
expected, one composed of African immigrants. ("Insular Floras," page 5
of separate copy.)) I am glad you speak of LINKING, though this sounds
a little too close, instead of being continuous. All about St. Helena is
grand. You have no faith, but if I knew any one