To A. G. More [30 June 1860]1
Sudbrook Park | Richmond
Saturday
Dear Sir
I write a line to thank you much for the kind manner with which you have received my rather unreasonable request—2 If you find any pollen-masses removed, will you watch a group of the Bee-orchis for or an hour, & see what sort of insect visits them.
I have received account of pollen-masses of this plant having been seen on proboscis of a day-moth; but I cannot help feeling a little sceptical about the identification.—3 If you send any other orchids perhaps you would kindly enclose a Bee-orchis, (especially if you find one or more with pollen-masses removed) for this summer I have as yet searched in vain for specimen near my home; & I want to have pollen-masses for standard of comparison with those observed on the probosces of moths.—
The Spiranthes would be especially valuable to me & the Epipactis.
I shall return home on next Thursday (5th) (to Down Bromley Kent) & on Monday 9th or 10th I shall go to Revd C. Langton’s
Hartfield
Tonbridge Wells.—4
I will venture to tell you my movements later, as I fear I shall not be stationary at home for some little time.—
With very sincere thanks I remain | Dear Sir | Yours truly obliged | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Summary
Asks about removal of pollen-masses in bee orchid.
Will return home on 5th and go to Charles Langton’s on the 9th.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2849
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alexander Goodman More
- Sent from
- Sudbrook Park
- Source of text
- Royal Irish Academy (A. G. More papers RIA MS 4 B 46)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2849,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2849.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8