My dear Hooker

It is impossible to thank you enough. I was almost mad at the wealth of orchids.—¹ Several invaluable to me.— I cannot read enclosed ticket. Do not care about ticket for flower too much withered.² I send postage stamps.— What trouble it must have taken you!! I sh^d. rather like another specⁿ. of Masdevallia; but I do not care much.—

The column of Cynoches was broken; everything else perfect.— I fear you would have no time for even simplest observation on Cynoches.— But I will for chance tell case. Loddiges told me “that Mormodes, if touched, would not fail to fertilise itself once in a thousand times”.—³ James Veitch tells me of some strange movement.—⁴

I sh^d. much like to quote you on subject.— Is it that the pollinia slew round, when touched, & enter stigmatic cavity? Or does the lower part of column bend, when a large insect alights on the labellum or touches base of column;— I can conceive by this movement that pollinia would be left on insect’s back & ultimately fertilise another flower.⁵ But former supposition seems more probable, & would be of highest importance to me as it would be case of self-fertilisation like that of Bee Ophrys:— it is, however, very clear that there is sticky gland so that insects would sometimes remove pollinia.— The pollinia of your specimen were glued to the labellum.— Veitch sent me several spec^s of Mormodes, but column of all broken & pollinia gone!! Eheu Eheu!!

Yours most gratefully | C. D.—

I must set to work again.—

Monday morning.— I have been at work all morning— you cannot tell how interesting & useful your specimens.— The buds of Pleurostalis have saved me from such a confounded blunder.⁶ I am very anxious to hear, whether the spiral vessels, corresponding to each division of the Clinandrum is more of an argument, concerning their nature, than in being merely one point more of general resemblance. I find they come in in important manner in many Orchids.—⁷

They form the wings to the column in Cattleya & Oncidium.—⁸ The worst of my work is that I have no conception what is new & what quite old in my work.— I fear I have been a precious fool to undertake it; but anyhow it has amused me.—