To J. O. Westwood 4 September [1861]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Sept. 4th
My dear Sir
I thank you cordially for all the great trouble, which you have so kindly taken for me.— Positively I have never seen your paper by Morren, or heard of its existence, except in your previous note.—2 I will write to Gardeners’ Chron. & see whether Lindley knows.—3
I do not possess Todds Cyclop. of Phy. &c:4 is there an article on the fertilisation of Orchids?
I received last night the two Sphexes, & I thank you much for so kindly sending them; but unfortunately the pollen-masses do not belong to Orchids (I have removed only one) but to Asclepias, which abounds in N. America, & requires, equally with Orchids, insect-aid.—5
I am really sorry to trouble you, but how can I return the insects if not by Post? Shall I leave them at the British Museum in Dr Gray’s hands, addressed to you, when I next go to London?6 But I shall not be in London for a month or two.— When you write to tell me what to do, will you tell me about Todd.—
With many thanks | Yours sincerely | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Is certain he never had Morren’s paper from JOW or heard of it before JOW’s note; will write to Gardeners’ Chronicle about it [see 3252].
Thanks for the two Sphinx moths; unfortunately the pollen-masses do not belong to orchids but to Asclepias.
Asks whether R. B. Todd’s Cyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology [1835–59] has an article on fertilisation of orchids.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3243
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Obadiah Westwood
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Hope Entomological collection)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3243,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3243.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9