ten to A.
Gray and to X., who--i.e. the latter--on this point may be looked at as
S. Smith's Foolometer.

I am now working several of the large local Floras, with leaving out
altogether all the smallest genera. When I have done this, and seen what
the sections of the largest genera say, and seen what the results are
of range and commonness of varying species, I must come to some definite
conclusion whether or not entirely to give up the ghost. I shall then
show how my theory points, how the facts stand, then state the nature of
your grievous assault and yield entirely or defend the case as far as I
can honestly.

Again I thank you for your invaluable assistance. I have not felt
the blow [Hooker's criticisms] so much of late, as I have been beyond
measure interested on the constructive instinct of the hive-bee. Adios,
you terrible worrier of poor theorists!

LETTER 61. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down [1858?]

Many thanks for Ledebour and still more for your letter, with its
admirable resume of all your objections. It is really most kind of you
to take so very much trouble about what seems to you, and probably is,
mere vagaries.

I will earnestly try and be cautious. I will write out my tables and
conclusion, and (when well copied out) I hope you will be so kind as
to read it. I will then put it by and after some months look at it with
fresh eyes. I will briefly work in all your objections and Watson's. I
labour under a great difficulty from feeling sure that, with what very
little systematic work I have done, small genera were more interesting
and therefore more attracted my attention.

One of your remarks I do not see the bearing of under your point of
view--namely, that in monotypic genera "the variation and variability"
are "much more frequently noticed" than in polytypic genera. I hardly
like to ask, but this is the only one of your arguments of which I do
not see the bearing; and I certainly should be very glad to know. I
believe I am the slowest (perhaps the worst) thinker in England; and I
now consequently fully admit the full hostility of Urticaceae, which I
will give in my tables.

I will make no remarks on your objections, as I do hope you will read my
MS., which will not cost you much trouble when fairly copied out. From
my own experience, I hardly believe that the most sagacious observers,
without counting, could have predicted whether there were more or fewer
recorded varieties in large or small genera; for