My dear Hooker

As you say that you have good private information that Government does intend to remove collection from Brit. Museum, the case to me individually is wholly changed; & as the Memorial now stands, with such expression at its head, I have no objection whatever to sign.² I must express a very strong opinion that it would be an immense evil to remove to Kensington, not on account of the men of science, so much as for the masses in the whole eastern & central part of London.³

I further think it would be a great evil to separate a typical collection (which I can by no means look at as only popular) from the collection in full. Might not some expression be added even stronger than those now used on the display (which is a sort of vanity in the Curators) of such a vast number of Birds & Mammals, with such a loss of room.

I am low at the conviction that Government will never give money enough for a really good Library.—

I do not want to be crotchety, but I sh^d. hate signing without some expression about the site being easily accessible to the populace of whole of London.—⁴

I am sorry to have given any trouble.

I repeat as things now stand I shall be proud to sign.

My dear Hooker | Ever yours | C. Darwin

I return home on Monday