To James Drummond 22 November [1860]1
Down Bromley Kent
Nov. 22d
Dear Sir
I am extremely much obliged to you for your second interesting letter of Sept. 17th. —2 What you state about the Leschenaultias not seeding is surprising; but from my experiments I cannot get it out of my head that the agency of insects, though not perhaps indispensable, to their fertilisation, yet is useful to them. You do not mention, but I should much like to know the simple fact whether the flowers of Leschenaultia (or other Goodeniaceæ) are visited by Bees or other insects.—3
Your offer to send me seeds of Distylis & the other genus, will be of greatest possible interest to me.—
With my very sincere thanks for all your great kindness, I beg leave to remain | Dear Sir | Yours sincerely obliged | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
JD’s letter of 17 Sept about Leschenaultia not seeding is surprising. CD’s experiments point to insects which, though perhaps not indispensable to their fertilisation, are useful to it. Would like to know whether the flower of Leschenaultia is visited by bees or other insects.
JD’s offer to send seeds of Distylis and the other genus is of greatest possible interest.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2992
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- James Drummond
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- J. S. Battye Library of Western Australian History, State Library of Western Australia (Accession 2275A)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2992,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2992.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8
