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) sh^d., 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