(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.