-as evidence of the highness
of the Ranunculaceae; now Owen has truly, as I believe, used the same
argument to show the lowness of some animals, and has established the
proposition, that the fewer the number of any organ, as legs or wings or
teeth, by which the same end is gained, the higher the animal. One other
question. Hilaire says (page 572) that "chez une foule de plantes
c'est dans le bouton," that impregnation takes place. He instances only
Goodenia (319/8. For letters on this point, see Index s.v. Goodenia.),
and Falconer cannot recollect any cases. Do you know any of this "foule"
of plants? From reasons, little better than hypothetical, I greatly
misdoubt the accuracy of this, presumptuous as it is; that plants shed
their pollen in the bud is, of course, quite a different story. Can you
illuminate me? Henslow will send the Galapagos scraps to you. I direct
this to Kew, as I suppose, after your sister's marriage (on which I beg
to send you my congratulations), you will return home.

There are great fears that Falconer will have to go out to India--this
will be a grievous loss to Palaeontology.

LETTER 320. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, April 10th [1846].

I was much pleased to see and sign your certificate for the Geolog[ical
Society]; we shall thus occasionally, I hope, meet. (320/1. Sir Joseph
was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1846.)

I have been an ungrateful dog not to have thanked you before this for
the cake and books. The children and their betters pronounced the former
excellent, and Annie wanted to know whether it was the gentleman "what
played with us so." I wish we were at a more reasonable distance,
that Emma and myself could have called on Lady Hooker with our
congratulations on this occasion. It was very good of you to put in
both numbers of the "Hort. Journal." I think Dean Herbert's article well
worth reading. I have been so extravagant as to order M[oquin] Tandon
(320/2. Probably "Elements de Teratologie Vegetale": Paris, 1841.),
for though I have not found, as yet, anything particularly novel or
striking, yet I found that I wished to score a good many passages so as
to re-read them at some future time, and hence have ordered the book.
Consequently I hope soon to send back your books. I have sent off the
Ascension plants through Bunsen to Ehrenberg.

There was much in your last long letter which interested me much; and I
am particularly glad that you are going to attend to polymor