To Arthur Rawson   2 April [1863]¹

My dear M^r. Rawson

I am extremely much obliged for your note.² By odd chance I have just found a Primrose plant, with generally 3 or even 4 pistils: I was so much surprised that I wrote to Kew & I have sent, in accordance with a request from that quarter, specimens in spirits; so it is an odd anomaly.³ I am very glad to hear about Gladiolus: I shall very soon have to give your case in M.S. (& I have all the old notes safe) preparing for publication & was thinking more than once whether you had tried any more experiments; but inferred that you had forgotten the subject; so you may suppose how pleased I am.—

To make sure that I understand your last experiment, I will thus put case: of two plants of same var. A you find pollen, from one does not fertilise the stigma of the other; but that pollen (as in previous years) from vars. B. C. D. &c do fertilise var. A.— This is correct??⁴ Now will you kindly tell me whether you tried this last experiment on 2 or 3, or half-a-dozen, or more flowers? I sh^d like to add this to case.—

With respect to Ophrys aranifera I will not trouble you; but I certainly sh^d. be very glad of the loan of the Cypripedium.⁵ But do you understand that a “loan” means that I sh^d probably cut up & mutilate all or nearly all the flowers; without doing this the flowers would be of no use to me.— Are you prepared to be so generous a martyr-florist? If so, I will gratefully send for plant, whenever I hear that it is ready.

With very sincere thanks | Yours very truly | C. Darwin