Identified two flies as species of Empis that suck flowers, but the females also feed on small Diptera.
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Identified two flies as species of Empis that suck flowers, but the females also feed on small Diptera.
Thanks JBG for acceding to his wishes in the endeavour to discover whether hair colour in Europeans is correlated with susceptibility to tropical diseases [see Descent 1: 244–5].
Acknowledges receipt of £240 7s. 9d.
Hopes to meet JH at Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s house in London on Friday 6 June.
Asa Gray approves of Orchids; his work on American species confirms CD’s findings.
Sad that CD is quitting his studies of orchids.
Found 27 flowers of Orchis latifolia and in 16 of them were dead flies of one particular kind.
Discusses heterostyly in Houstonia.
Sends orchids.
Discusses publication of second German edition of Origin [1863] and German edition of Orchids [1862].
Suspects that bee orchid is self-fertilising form of Ophrys arachnites, which requires insect aid.
Describes floral anatomy of a Catasetum sent by DO.
Has gone on from orchids to studying insect agency in Pelargonium.
His doubts on the worth of publishing Orchids.
Oliver has written able paper on dimorphism for Natural History Review [n.s. 2 (1862): 235–43].
CD’s account of Viola is novel and interesting.
Has finished Cameroon mountain plants.
Jury work at exhibition.
Domestic problems – wife is ill, no cook, etc.
Asks whether any correspondents have observed any sensible differences between the bees kept in different parts of Great Britain. CD has heard from several sources that breeds of bee in different areas vary.
Thanks AG for praise of Orchids and his notes on several American species of orchid. Comments on AG’s observations.
Is experimenting [on dimorphism] with Rhexia and Melastoma.
Asks AG’s opinion of a paper by Thomas Meehan ["On the uniformity of relative characters between allied species of European and American trees", Proc. Philadelphia Acad. Nat. Sci. (1862): 10–13] which is the best case of the apparently direct action of the conditions of life CD has seen.
Requests postage stamp for his ill son [Leonard].
Thanks AG for observations on Cypripedium and gives recent observations of his own.
Arethusa is very pretty; structure seems like that of Vanilla.
Finds the little (so-called imperfect) flowers of Viola and Oxalis curious: the pollen-grains emit their tubes whilst within the anthers, and they travel in straight lines right to the stigmas.
Sympathises with events in the U. S.
Reports on French translation of Origin by Mlle C. Royer, "one of the cleverest & oddest women in Europe".
Alphonse de Candolle says he wants direct proof of natural selection; "he will have to wait a long time for that".
Encloses a question [missing] concerning language [from Hensleigh Wedgwood].
Sorry to hear of Mrs Hooker’s health and domestic problems. Wishes natural selection had produced neuters who would not flirt or marry.
Will be eager to hear Cameroon results.
Wishes JDH would discuss the "mundane glacial period". Still believes it will be "the turning point of all recent geographical distribution".
Pollen placed for 65 hours on apparent (CD still thinks real) stigma of Leschenaultia has not protruded a vestige of a tube.
"Oliver the omniscient" has produced an article in Botanische Zeitung with accurate account of all CD saw in Viola.
Asa Gray’s "red-hot" praise of Orchids [Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 34 (1862): 138–51].
Offers rare Irish orchid (Spiranthes).
Leonard Darwin has scarlet fever so GHD has said he should be sent home and has asked E. A. Williams to call at Down.
Sends condolences on death of LH’s wife. Recalls many pleasant hours in Bedford Place. He and Emma thank LH for sending the memorial paper.
It would be a pleasure to see "the first enunciator of the theory of Natural Selection" but his health makes it impossible. Hopes to come to London soon and would like to arrange an interview with PM if he is staying more than a week.