To John Lindley 25 October [1861]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Oct. 25th
My dear Lindley
I am infinitely obliged for your letter, answering everything so clearly & so fully.—2
Do not read enclosed without you like, I send it on mere chance of being new to you.—
I shd. be most grateful for any orchids (especially Dendrobium) in flower & bud : if it be a small parcel tin cannister best way by Post, & you must let me repay postage: if too large, address.
C. Darwin | care of Down Postman | Bromley | Kent per Railway
I terribly want any one of your “Arethuseæ.”3
Mr James Veitch has been most generous;4 I did not know that you had spoken to him: if you see him pray say I am truly grateful. I dare not write to a live Bishop or a Lady;5 but if I knew the address of “Rucker”?? & might use your name as introduction I would write.6 I am half mad on subject.— Hooker has sent me many exotics; but I stopped him, for I thought I shd. make a fool of myself; but since I have determined to publish, I much regret it.
I will not trouble you for the Books, for systematic works are out of my line.—
Hooker is trying to buy Reichenbach on the pollen & if he gets it will lend me, for it is in no public Library & I do not suppose would be worth my buying.7
With cordial thanks for your great kindness.—
Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Lindley, John. 1853. The vegetable kingdom; or, the structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. 3d edition with corrections and additional genera. London: Bradbury & Evans.
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.
Reichenbach, Heinrich Gustav. 1852. De pollinis orchidearum genesi ac structura et de orchideis in artem ac systema redigendis. Leipzig: F. Hofmeister.
Summary
Sends thanks for an informative letter;
would be grateful for any orchids; names some he would particularly like.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3299
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Lindley
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Lindley letters, A–K: 194)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3299,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3299.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9