From James Bateman [1 February 1862]1
Biddulph Grange, | Congleton.
Saturday
My Dear Sir,
I was very glad indeed to hear that the Orchid flowers were so acceptable.2
Pray forgive my gardener’s carelessness in omitting the names;—3 when Icharged him with the misdemeanour he defended himself on the ground that he could never have supposed you could have been ignorant of them!!
I am sorry to say that my knowledge of Orchids almost ends where yours— according to your own modest representation—would seem to begin i.e. I know them much better systematically than structurally. Indeed, even as a young man, my eyes were too weak to bear the strain of the microscope without which nothing of course could be done.
I believe however I can answer in the affirmative your question as to whether the pollinia of Mormodes are ever projected;—of Cycnoches I cannot speak positively but I have scarcely a doubt that its pollinia have learned the same trick.4
You should study these organs in Chysis, the flowering season of which will soon arrive (N.B. if you want specimens I shall be most happy to send them) and I cannot help thinking that it might be useful to investigate the hybrid between Limatodes & Calanthe that is almost constantly in flower at Veitchs nursery.5
I have never actually seen insects gnawing away at the labella of Orchids but several, minute ickneumon-like things often lurk in the recesses of the more complicated forms.6
I much wish you would take up the subject of the marvellous changes—I might almost call them metempsychosis—to which Orchids are prone. Though by no means a convert to your theory as to the ‘Origin of Species’ I wish the matter to be thoroughly ventilated and cannot but think that facts of great significance may be gathered in the direction I have indicated. If you put me in the witness-box I shall be happy to tell all I know.
I have to thank you very much for the interesting little pamphlet on Primula that you were good enough to send me, & I need not say how anxious I am to see yr. more important work on Orchids.7 I was interrupted when about to write you before, for which, or rather the consequent delay—I beg to apologise & am very truly | Jas. Bateman
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Desmond, Ray. 1994. Dictionary of British and Irish botanists and horticulturists including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers. New edition, revised with the assistance of Christine Ellwood. London: Taylor & Francis and the Natural History Museum. Bristol, Pa.: Taylor & Francis.
‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’: On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula, and on their remarkable sexual relations. By Charles Darwin. [Read 21 November 1861.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 77–96. [Collected papers 2: 45–63.]
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.
Willis, John Christopher. 1973. A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns. 8th edition. Revised by H. K. Airy Shaw. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Summary
Glad CD approves of the orchids he sent.
Believes the pollinia of Mormodes are projected; thinks CD should look at the pollinia of Chysis and investigate the hybrid between Limatodes and Calanthe.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3356
- From
- James Bateman
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Congleton
- Source of text
- DAR 160.1: 59
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3356,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3356.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10
