Dear Sir,

You will, I feel sure, forgive my encroaching upon your leisure by asking for a little information on a subject mentioned in your book on the “Origin of Species”.—

In a paragraph about the fertilization of clover by the humble-bee you mention that no other insect is so constructed as to be able to get at the nectar, and that consequently, but for its agency, the clover would probably become extinct.¹ A good while ago I quoted this passage in a lecture delivered to the Natural History Society at Newcastle;² and afterwards a friend of mine (M^r Howse)³ laughed the whole thing to scorn, saying that he had often seen the tubes of the corolla of the Clover pierced halfway down by other insects for the sake of getting at the nectar. I should much like to know whether you can give any explanation of this, or whether these punctures, supposing them to exist can be made by any other creatures or for other purposes.—⁴ After all it is a matter of no consequence to your theory, nor do I see that it even much affects your assertion as to the fertilization of the clover, for I fancy that by the operation of piercing the corolla, any pollen adhering to the proboscis of an insect must be rubbed off before getting even inside the tube, so that fertilization would still be left to be effected by the longer proboscis of the bee.

It is due to you to mention why I should like an answer from you on this question. I have engaged to read a paper to our Geological Society at Sunderland on the “Origin of Species”, and I know that my friend, who is a virulent Anti-Darwinian, intends to be there; and as I again quote this passage he will certainly attack it.

So that I shall esteem it a great favour if you will kindly give me something to say about it.

Believe me, | very truly yours | George S. Brady.

P.S. | I forward, for your acceptance a copy of a short paper of mine on Marine Entomostraca.⁵