THE CAMP, Sunningdale. July 15/[18]88. My dear little Lion I have two letters to thank you for. I should have written before, but I have been very busy. Dr King has been at Kew twice and I am to see him again tomorrow. He has come home on leave for six months and will return to India in October. His wife and family are in Scotland whither he returns in a few days, but before he goes back to India he will come and stay with us. Bo is very anxious for you to return. When I ask him "where is Joe" he makes a feeble wag of his tail and looks at me so wistfully. We went to a garden party at Canon Girdlestone's the other day but it was miserable weather, and after it we went to another at Mr Fendall's. We have constant rain again, but Saturday was fine though sunless. The leaf you send is that of the small leaved Maple and it is attacked by a minute insect that lays its eggs in the leaf, after which the hurt places swell up and become red, causing the curious red patches which you saw. There were some of the large pear-trees in the field opposite the house at Pendock, are they there still ? and have you asked Grandmamma in whose reign they were planted.

Matty is here today. She is going for a holiday to Scotland. Col. Yule is coming on Tuesday to stay for a few days. I hope that he will be here when you are back. Hugh is not back yet and I do not quite know when he returns. The strawberries are quite spoiled by the wet; they are very large and look so fine, but they have hardly any taste and are quite watery. The raspberries are much better. My study is finished I am glad to say, and so will Mamma's bed room be by the time you come back. Ever your affectionate father, J.D.HOOKER.