From G. C. Oxenden   21 June 1862

Broome

June 21. 1862

Dear Sir

I hope your Son is Convalescent— —If you were to place him in a warm bath, containing seven parts water, and one part of “Condy’s Ozonised Fluid”, & if he remained therein for 34 of an hour, it is likely that infinite benefit would accrue, by absorption—1

Notwithstanding your prohibition, I this day send you some fine specimens of “Arachnites” caught yesterday—2

—Also (enclosed in an Envelope) a curious Pink Plant, with small blue flowers, concerning which I am anxious for your verdict, as to what it is—

I myself entertain no doubt—& that his Initials are

“P. C.”

I yesterday hunted a splendid range, for many miles—which I had never tried before—

—We found, at the lowest Computation, 500 Bees in Flower—& enough of “Arachnites” to drive any Plant-hunter stark staring distracted mad— —Certainly not less than 160, in full flower—

—In nineteen cases out of Twenty, “Arachnites” & “Apifera” stand aloof from each other—

—The former Especially is apt to Congregate in little clusters of from 3 to 16 Plants—wide away from any Bees—which they clearly do not seem to like— both anatomically, & as to dress & markings, the two Plants stand widely apart—3

—I took up 2 plants only, out of the multitude—& the single spiders which I have sent you were taken, here & there, wherever a stem was richly covered with blooms— Altogether it was fine a days sport as I ever saw—

Sincerely | G. C. Oxenden

1
Leonard Darwin was ill with scarlet fever (see letter to W. E. Darwin, 13 [June 1862]). ‘Condy’s fluid’ was a solution of alkaline permanganates, developed by Henry Bollmann Condy, and used ‘for the purification of air and water, and sanitary objects in general’ (Condy 1862, p. 69).
2
Oxenden had sent CD specimens of Ophrys arachnites (a synonym of Ophrys fuciflora, the late spider-orchid) at the end of May, and at the start of June expressed a hope that he would be able to send more in ‘a few more days’ (see letters from G. C. Oxenden, [before 30 May 1862] and 4 June [1862]). CD’s replies to these letters have not been found, but in his letter of [before 21 June 1862], Oxenden expressed his regret at CD’s claim to be ‘quitting Orchideous life’, and offered to send further specimens of O. arachnites ‘as a last proof of fidelity’.
3
CD doubted the claim of some botanists that Ophrys arachnites was a variety of the bee-orchis, O. apifera, but was exploring the possibility that ‘the Bee might be the self-fertilising form of O. arachnites which requires insect’s aid’ (see letter to A. G. More, 7 June 1862 and nn. 2 and 3). CD had asked Alexander Goodman More whether he had seen any of the ‘intermediate forms’ that were said to connect the two, and had evidently made a similar enquiry of Oxenden. See also letter from G. C. Oxenden, 8 July 1862.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3618,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3618