To T. F. Cheeseman 9 September [1873]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent.
Sept 9th
Dear Sir
I thank you for having sent me your extremely interesting paper.— I can entertain no doubt that your explanation is as correct, as your account is clear.2
The case is strictly analogous, though the result effected by very different means, as in Cypripedium;—not as I incorrectly described it at first but as described by H. Müller viz. that the insect is forced from the inflexed rim of the labellum to crawl out by the 2 apertures close to the anthers & stigma.—3 Your case is much more curious.—4
With my best thanks | I remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin
I tried Cypripedium with a minute bee & saw the whole process, as you did with your orchid.—
Footnotes
Bibliography
Cheeseman, Thomas Frederick. 1872. On the fertilization of the New Zealand species of Pterostylis. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 5: 352–7.
Müller, Hermann. 1873. Die Befruchtung der Blumen durch Insekten und die gegenseitigen Anpassungen beider. Ein Beitrag zur Erkenntniss des ursächlichen Zusammenhanges in der organischen Natur. Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann.
Orchids 2d ed.: The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition, revised. London: John Murray. 1877.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Summary
Thanks TFC for his extremely interesting paper ["On the fertilisation of the New Zealand species of Pterostyles", Trans. & Proc. N. Z. Inst. 5 (1872): 352–7]. Has no doubt his explanation [of the fertilisation mechanism] is correct. The case is analogous to that of the Cypripedium though TFC’s case is much more curious.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9048
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Frederick Cheeseman
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Auckland War Memorial Museum Library Tāmaki Paenga Hira (T. F. Cheeseman Papers MS-58)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9048,” accessed on 27 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9048.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 21