To Federico Delpino   25 June [1873]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

June 25th

My dear Sir

I thank you sincerely for your letter. I am very glad to hear about Lathyrus odoratus; for here in England the vars. never cross, & yet are sometimes visited by Bees.2 Pisum sativum, I have also many times seen visited by Bombus. I believe the cause of the many vars. not crossing is that under our climate the flowers are self-fertilised at an early period before the corolla is fully expanded.3 I shall examine this point with L. odoratus.4

I have read H. Müller’s book, and it seems to me very good. Your criticism had not occurred to me, but is, I think just, viz that it is much more important to know what insects habitually visit any flower, than the various kinds which occasionally visit it.—5 Have you seen A. Kerners book “Schutzmittel des Pollens: 1873: Innspruck.”—6 It is very interesting, but he does not seem to know anything about the work of other authors.

I have Bentham’s paper in my house, but have not yet had time to read a word of it. He is a man with very sound judgment & fully admits the principle of evolution.—7

With many thanks for your kindness, I remain Dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I have lately had occasion to look over again your discussion on anemophilous plants, & I have again felt much admiration at your work.—8

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Federico Delpino, 18 June 1873.
3
For CD’s observations on Pisum sativum, see Cross and self fertilisation, pp. 160–2.
4
CD concluded that Lathyrus odoratus, though self-fertilised in Britain, was not fertilised before the corolla opened (see Cross and self fertilisation, p. 156).
5
CD refers to H. Müller 1873. See letter from Federico Delpino, 18 June 1873 and n. 9.
6
Anton Kerner’s Die Schutzmittel des Pollens gegen die Nachtheile vorzeitiger Dislocation und gegen die Nachtheile vorzeitiger Befeuchtung (Preventive measures of pollen against damage by premature dislocation and moistening; Kerner 1873), is cited in Cross and self fertilisation.
7
See letter from Federico Delpino, 18 June 1873 and n. 8. CD’s annotated copy of Bentham 1873a is in the collection of unbound journals, Darwin Library–CUL. On George Bentham’s support for evolution, see Bentham 1863 and Correspondence vol. 11, letter to George Bentham, 19 June [1863].
8
For Delpino’s work on anemophily (pollination by means of the wind), see especially Delpino 1871. CD discussed Delpino’s work on anemophilous plants in Cross and self fertilisation, pp. 400–14.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 many times] interl
2.00 much] added

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8951,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8951