From G. C. Oxenden 8 July 1862
Broome
July 8. 1862
Dear Sir
I do assure you, you expressed a desire to know if Insects visited “Epipactis palustris” at Night—1 We have not seen even One instance of any such Visits—but I feel sure that they are thus visited—& that their absence on the nights in question was due to the very disturbed state of the atmosphere—
—As regards the access of Insects in the day time— I have spent two whole days in a Marsh Containing these plants in flower, without detecting so much as one insect upon them—But then, the days were each damp & lowering—
—In this splendid Marsh, I yesterday found four Mowers hard at work— —I tried to save the flower crop by a very large Money Offer—but the Farmer assured me he really needed the rough rush & reed for thatching purposes—
If I live ’till next year, I will spare no pains to secure this Marsh—
As it is, all that I could do was to cause them to leave (untouched) certain patches, here & there, where these lovely Plants most abounded—
—You say you suppose that I do not ⟨ ⟩ “Fens”— I do believe I have h⟨ ⟩ explored more of the principal ⟨ ⟩ Europe, from the Arctic Circle ⟨ ⟩ dangerous Morasses of Southern ⟨ ⟩ than any Man living—
—Botanists seem determi⟨ned⟩ that “Arachnites” shall not exist ⟨ ⟩ independent Country Gentleman
—You accuse him of dup⟨licity⟩ and of being one year a true Be⟨e⟩ in the next, a Spider—2
—And Mr Woollaston asserts the ⟨ ⟩ Existence of Intrigue between “Ar⟨achnites⟩ and Aranifera”—3
⟨four lines excised⟩
—But, even if there were sufficient accordance in the flowering-times, to render the thing possible, is it probable that the Union of two very delicate Orchids (of which One is of very low small habit, & the other small as to flower, & moderate as to stem) shd., by their Union, produce a flower of the size and strength and ferocity of “Arachnites”—& which stands aloof from its Congeners in the proudest Isolation?
—In like manner, if you meet a “Birdologist” tomorrow, he will tell you, that “Scolopax Major” (the Solitary Snipe) is not a species but a Cross—
—In all these matters, the dissecting knife has large powers of deciding the dispute—but a much larger power resides in the Man who is incessantly face to face with these objects in their living & natural habitats—
—The fight about the Origin of Tetrao medius” is interminable—4
Sincerely | G. C. Oxenden
Footnotes
Bibliography
Calendar: A calendar of the correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821–1882. With supplement. 2d edition. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1994.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Elliot, Daniel Giraud. 1865. A monograph of the Tetraoninae, or family of the grouse. New York.
Index animalium: Index animalium sive index nominum quae ab @A.D. MDCCLVIII@generibus et speciebus animalium imposita sunt. By Charles Davies Sherborn. 10 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. London: British Museum. 1902–32. [Vols. 10,11]
Wollaston, George Buchanan. 1855. Various notes on British Orchideæ. Phytologist\ n.s. 1 (1855–6): 225–7.
Summary
Has not found insects visiting Epipactis palustris either at night or in the day.
Reality of hybrid plants and birds in nature is controversial.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3647
- From
- George Chichester Oxenden
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Broome Canterbury
- Source of text
- DAR 173: 56
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp inc
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3647,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3647.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10