again comes in the mischief of my ABSTRACT. In the fuller MS. I have
discussed a parallel case of a normal fish like the monstrous gold-fish."

With reference to Sir J.D. Hooker's reply, my father wrote:]

Down, [February 26th, 1860].

My dear Hooker,

Your answer to Harvey seems to me ADMIRABLY good. You would have made a
gigantic fortune as a barrister. What an omission of Harvey's about the
graduated state of the flowers! But what strikes me most is that surely I
ought to know my own book best, yet, by Jove, you have brought forward ever
so many arguments which I did not think of! Your reference to
classification (viz. I presume to such cases as Aspicarpa) is EXCELLENT,
for the monstrous Begonia no doubt in all details would be Begonia. I did
not think of this, nor of the RETROGRADE step from separated sexes to an
hermaphrodite state; nor of the lessened fertility of the monster. Proh
pudor to me.

The world would say what a lawyer has been lost in a MERE botanist!

Farewell, my dear master in my own subject,

Yours affectionately,
C. DARWIN.

I am so heartily pleased to see that you approve of the chapter on
Classification.