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Darwin Correspondence Project

To A. G. More    [30 June 1860]1

Sudbrook Park | Richmond

Saturday

Dear Sir

I write a line to thank you much for the kind manner with which you have received my rather unreasonable request—2 If you find any pollen-masses removed, will you watch a group of the Bee-orchis for 14 or 12 an hour, & see what sort of insect visits them.

I have received account of pollen-masses of this plant having been seen on proboscis of a day-moth; but I cannot help feeling a little sceptical about the identification.—3 If you send any other orchids perhaps you would kindly enclose a Bee-orchis, (especially if you find one or more with pollen-masses removed) for this summer I have as yet searched in vain for specimen near my home; & I want to have pollen-masses for standard of comparison with those observed on the probosces of moths.—

The Spiranthes would be especially valuable to me & the Epipactis.

I shall return home on next Thursday (5th) (to Down Bromley Kent) & on Monday 9th or 10th I shall go to Revd C. Langton’s

Hartfield

Tonbridge Wells.—4

I will venture to tell you my movements later, as I fear I shall not be stationary at home for some little time.—

With very sincere thanks I remain | Dear Sir | Yours truly obliged | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

This date was the only Saturday during CD’s stay at Sudbrook Park (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). This letter was first published in Correspondence vol. 8, transcribed from a copy on which the year is mistakenly recorded as 1862 (DAR 146: 387).
See letters to H. T. Stainton, 11 June [1860] and 20 June [1860].
CD returned to Down on 7 July 1860. On 10 July, he left to visit Charlotte and Charles Langton who lived in Hartfield, Sussex (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). Charlotte Langton was Emma Darwin’s sister.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Summary

Asks about removal of pollen-masses in bee orchid.

Will return home on 5th and go to Charles Langton’s on the 9th.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2849
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Alexander Goodman More
Sent from
Sudbrook Park
Source of text
Royal Irish Academy (A. G. More papers RIA MS 4 B 46)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2849,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2849.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8

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