If you are writing to England soon, you could enclose other letters [for] me to forward.
Please observe the question is not whether there are more or fewer varieties in larger or smaller genera, but whether there is a stronger or weaker tendency in the minds of botanists to RECORD such in large or small genera.
CHARLES DARWIN TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, May 6th [1858].
...I send by this post my MS. on the "commonness," "range," and "variation" of species in large and small genera. You have undertaken a horrid job in so very kindly offering to read it, and I thank you warmly. I have just corrected the copy, and am disappointed in finding how tough and obscure it is; I cannot make it clearer, and at present I loathe the very sight of it. The style of course requires further correction, and if published I must try, but as yet see not how, to make it clearer.
If you have much to say and can have patience to consider the whole subject, I would meet you in London on the Phil. Club day, so as to save you the trouble of writing. For Heaven's sake, you stern and awful judge and sceptic, remember that my conclusions may be true, notwithstanding that Botanists may have recorded more varieties in large than in small genera. It seems to me a mere balancing of probabilities. Again I thank you most sincerely, but I fear you will find it a horrid job.
Ever yours, C. DARWIN.
P.S.—As usual, Hydropathy has made a man of me for a short time: I hope the sea will do Mrs. Hooker much good.
CHARLES DARWIN TO A.R. WALLACE. Down, December 22nd, 1857.