Ɛpsilon

From Federico Delpino1   18 April 1875

18. Aprile 1875

Uomo celeberrimo

La ringrazio delle cortesi parole scrittemi colla pregiata lettera del 13 corrente,2 e non meno la ringrazio per la promessa di farmi avere il suo lavoro sulle piante insettivore; lavoro che, ne son sicuro, sarà degno di essere posto accanto a tutti quegli altri suoi scritti, che tanto giovarono ad allargare il campo scientifico. Farò un estratto di questa nuova sua pubblicazione nell’Annuario scientifico italiano pel 1876.3

L’argomento m’interessa assaissimo, perchè anch’io me ne sono un poco occupato alcuni anni addietro. Ho pubblicato una breve nota “sulle piante a bicchieri” nel nuovo Giornale botanico italiano,4 la quale ha provocato i sarcasmi del Prof. Mantegazza contro di me, mettendo in ridicolo l’idea che esistano piante carnivore. Ma detto Professore non mi pare che abbia un grande criterio. So che ha pure pubblicato infondate e superficiali critiche sul principio della elezione sessuale, principio tanto brillantemente propugnato dalla S.V. e della cui veracità io sono del tutto persuaso.5 Anzi i dati degli studii dicogamici vengono indirettamente a confermare il surriferito principio.6

Le auguro ottima salute e mi riconfermo colla più sentita gratitudine

Suo ossequente discepolo | Federico Delpino

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
The letter from CD has not been found, but see the letter from Federico Delpino, 8 April 1875.
3
Delpino’s review of Insectivorous plants appeared in Annuario Scientifico ed Industriale 12 (1876): 432–7. Delpino’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Insectivorous plants (see Appendix IV).
4
Delpino 1871; see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 April [1875] and n. 5. Delpino concluded that the function of the pitchers was nutritive (Delpino 1871, p. 175). Sulle piante a bicchieri: on pitcher-plants.
5
Paolo Mantegazza had criticised CD’s theory of sexual selection in Descent, especially the role of female choice (see Mantegazza 1871 and Correspondence vol. 19, letter to Paolo Mantegazza, 22 September 1871).
6
In Descent 1: 260, in the context of sexual selection, CD drew an analogy between the male parts of the flower maturing before the female in dichogamous plants and the early arrival of male birds in their breeding grounds. Delpino published widely on dichogamy, including his Ulteriori osservazioni sulla dichogamia nel regno vegetale (Further observations on dichogamy in the vegetable kingdom; Delpino 1868–75).

From Federico Delpino1   18 April 1875

18 April 1875

Most distinguished man

I thank you for the courteous words in your esteemed letter of the 13th of the month,2 and no less do I thank you for the promise of letting me have your work on insectivorous plants, a work that surely deserves its place next to all your other writings, which have contributed so much to the expansion of the field of science. I shall prepare a summary of this latest publication of yours for the Annuario scientifico italiano for 1876.3

The topic interests me very much because I myself spent a little time on it a few years ago. I published a brief account “sulle piante a bicchieri” in the Nuovo Giornale botanico italiano.4 This note provoked the sarcasm of Prof. Mantegazza, who ridiculed the idea of carnivorous plants. It strikes me though that the said professor doesn’t have much of a point to make. I know that all he has published are unfounded and superficial attacks on the principle of sexual selection, a principle so brilliantly advocated by your honour, of whose veracity I am absolutely persuaded.5 Indeed, the evidence of my studies on dichogamy indirectly support the said principle.6

With the best wishes for your health I remain with the most heartfelt gratitude | Your faithful disciple | Federico Delpino

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original Italian, see p. 150–1.
2
The letter from CD has not been found, but see the letter from Federico Delpino, 8 April 1875.
3
Delpino’s review of Insectivorous plants appeared in Annuario Scientifico ed Industriale 12 (1876): 432–7. Delpino’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Insectivorous plants (see Appendix IV).
4
Delpino 1871; see letter to J. D. Hooker, 14 April [1875] and n. 5. Delpino concluded that the function of the pitchers was nutritive (Delpino 1871, p. 175). Sulle piante a bicchieri: on pitcher-plants.
5
Paolo Mantegazza had criticised CD’s theory of sexual selection in Descent, especially the role of female choice (see Mantegazza 1871 and Correspondence vol. 19, letter to Paolo Mantegazza, 22 September 1871).
6
In Descent 1: 260, in the context of sexual selection, CD drew an analogy between the male parts of the flower maturing before the female in dichogamous plants and the early arrival of male birds in their breeding grounds. Delpino published widely on dichogamy, including his Ulteriori osservazioni sulla dichogamia nel regno vegetale (Further observations on dichogamy in the vegetable kingdom; Delpino 1868–75).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9939,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9939