To T. M. Story-Maskelyne 27 August [1875–81]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
Aug. 27th
Dear Mrs. Maskelyne
I will forward your kind message to my daughter2 who is in N. Wales.—
Many years ago I was familiar with the plant in question, as it grew in my Father’s garden, & I have seen it studded with dead flies.—3 I have never had time to investigate the case, but believe that the slaughter of so many wretched flies is of not the least use to the plant; but that it requires for its fertilisation the visits of small Hymenoptera, which are not caught, as their proboscides are not enlarged at the end.—4
I beg leave to remain | Yours faithfully & obliged | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Campbell, Susan. 2012. ‘Its situation was exquisite in the extreme’: ornamental flowers, shrubs and trees in the Darwin family’s garden at the Mount, Shrewsbury, 1838–1865. Garden History 40: 167–98.
Summary
Explains that the plant is not consuming the flies, but that they die becasue they get stuck in the flowers when fertilising them.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10136F
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thereza Mary Llewelyn/Thereza Mary Story-Maskelyne
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- The British Library (Add MS 88953/4)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10136F,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10136F.xml
