of England and the Continent; I look at this
case as proved by animals, etc., etc.; and, indeed, it would be an
astounding fact if the land had kept so steady as that they had not been
united, with Snowdon elevated 1,300 feet in recent times, etc., etc.

It is only against the former union with the oceanic volcanic islands
that I am vehement. (322/1. See "Life and Letters," Volume II., pages
72, 74, 80, 109.) What a perplexing case New Zealand does seem: is
not the absence of Leguminosae, etc., etc., FULLY as much opposed to
continental connexion as to any other theory? What a curious fact you
state about distribution and lowness going together.

The presence of a frog in New Zealand seems to me a strongish fact for
continental connexion, for I assume that sea water would kill spawn, but
I shall try. The spawn, I find, will live about ten days out of water,
but I do not think it could possibly stick to a bird.

What you say about no one realising creation strikes me as very true;
but I think and hope that there is nearly as much difference between
trying to find out whether species of a genus have had a common ancestor
and concerning oneself with the first origin of life, as between making
out the laws of chemical attraction and the first origin of matter.

I thought that Gray's letter had come open to you, and that you had read
it: you will see what I asked--viz., for habitats of the alpine plants,
but I presume there will be nothing new to you. Please return both. How
pleasantly Gray takes my request, and I think I shall have done a good
turn if I make him write a paper on geographical distribution of plants
of United States.

I have written him a very long letter, telling him some of the points
about which I should feel curious. But on my life it is sublimely
ridiculous, my making suggestions to such a man.

I cannot help thinking that what you say about low plants being widely
distributed and standing injurious conditions better than higher ones
(but is not this most difficult to show?) is equally favourable to
sea-transport, to continental connexions, and all other means. Pray
do not suppose that I fancy that if I could show that nearly all seeds
could stand an almost indefinite period of immersion in sea-water, that
I have done more than one EXTREMELY SMALL step in solving the problem of
distribution, for I can quite appreciate the importance of the fact you
point out; and then the directions of currents in