To Asa Gray 28 July [1862]1
Down Bromley Kent
July 28th
My dear Gray.—
I hardly know what to thank for first. Your stamps gave infinite satisfaction. I took him first one lot & then an hour afterwards another lot.2 He actually raised himself on one elbow to look at them. It was the first animation he showed. He said only “You must thank Prof. Gray awfully”.— In evening after long silence, there came out the oracluar sentence “He is awfully kind”. And indeed you are; overworked as you are, to take so much trouble for our poor dear little man.—
And now I must begin the “awfullys” on my own account: what a capital notice you have published on the orchids!3 it could not have been better; but I fear that you overrate it. I am very sure that I had not the least idea that you or anyone would approve of it so much.— I return your last note4 for chance of your publishing any notice on subject; but after all perhaps you may not think it worth while; yet in my judgment several of your facts, especially P. hyperborea are much too good to be merged in a Review.5 But I have always noticed that you are prodigal in originality in your Reviews.— I wish with all my heart I could understand use of the common vibratile labellum in foreign orchids;6 insects would have to watched at work.—
You speak of two Pogonias always growing together;7 see my account of Aropera, a male orchid.8 Cannot you get a pupil to watch Calopogon? I shd. be very much surprised if insect suck stigma: the speculation crossed my mind & was rejected from want of any analogous case.9 I received two copies of your Review; so I sent one to Hooker,10 as if you have not sent it, he would surely like to see your excellent remarks.— You exactly express my conclusion about Greenland. Hooker, I think, underrates occasional means of transport.11 Till I proved the contrary, he used to maintain vehemently without a fact that the sea would kill all seeds.12 I have not had time yet to look at Mitchellia.13 Cannot you persuade your pupil to protect under fine net & experiment on some plants.—14 Perhaps Houstonia is visited by moths:15 I have reason to suspect that many Galiaceæ are so visited.
I was looking at Lythrum salicaria this morning; it is beautifully dimorphic like Primula, but with addition in both forms (I believe there is a third form) of six short stamens: it will be curious to make out use of them.16
But I must hold hard, otherwise I shall spend my life over dimorphism: what I said about pollens & stigmas of Linum grandiflorum, knowing each other is confirmed by further experiment.17
I have written to Trübner about the copies of Orchid Book.18
Farewell. This is a dull letter & is sent merely to give you my most cordial thanks.— Adios | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Summary
AG’s "capital" review of Orchids [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 138–44].
Thinks there are three forms of Lythrum salicaria.
Discusses transport of seeds by sea.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3667
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Asa Gray
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (75)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3667,” accessed on 6 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3667.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10