WCP1964

[1]¹

To C.Darwin.) The Dell, Grays, Essex. July 21st. 1875.

Dear Darwin Many thanks for your kindness in sending a copy of your new book.² Being very busy I have only had time to dip into it yet. The account of Utricularia³ is most marvellous & quite new to me. I'm rather surprised that you do not make any remarks on the or origin of these extraordinary contrivances for capturing insects. Did you think they were too obvious? I dare say there is no difficulty, but I feel sure they will be seized on as inexplicable by Nat[urall] Select[ion] & your evidence ^silence on the point will be held to show that you consider them so! The contrivance in Utricularia & Dionoea,⁴ & in fact in Droseca⁵ (?) too, seems fully as great & complex as in Orchids, but there is not the same motive force. Fertilization & cross-fertilization are important ends enough to lead to any modification, — but can we suppose mere nurishment [sic] to be so important, seeing that it ^is so easily & almost universally obtained by extrusion of roots & leaves. Here are plants which lose their roots & leaves to acquire the same results by infinite, complex modes! What a wonderful & long continued series of variations must have led up to the perfect "trap" in Utricularia, while at any stage of the process the same end might have been gained by a little more development of roots & leaves, as in 9999 plants out of 10,000!

Is this an imaginary difficulty or do you mean to deal with it in the future editions of the "Origin"?⁶

Believe me Yours very faithfully Alfred R. Wallace.

To C.Darwin.) The Dell, Grays, Essex. July 21st. 1875

Dear Darwin

Many thanks for your kindness in sending me a copy of your new book¹. Being very busy I have only had time to dip into it yet. The account of Utricularia² is most marvellous & quite new to me. I’m rather surprised that you do not make any remarks on the or origin of these extraordinary contrivances for capturing insects. Did you think they were too obvious? I dare say there is no difflculty[sic], but I feel sure they will be seized on as inexplicable by Nat[ural] Select[ion], your evidence ^silence on the point will be held to show that you consider them so ! The contrivance in Utricularia & Dionaea³,& in fact in Droseca⁴ (?) too, seems fully as great & complex as in Orchids, but there is not the same motive force. Fertilization & cross-fertilization are important ends enough to lead to any modification,- but can we suppose mere nurishment[sic] to be so important, seeing that it so easily & almost universally obtained by extrusion of roots & leaves. Here are plants which lose their roots & leaves to acquire the same results by infinitely complex modes! What a wonderful & long continued series of variations must have led up to the perfect "trap" in Utricularia, while at any stage of the process the same end might have been gained by a little more development of roots & leaves, as in 9999 plants out of 10,000!

Is this an imaginary difficulty or do you mean to deal with it in future editions of the "Origin"?

Believe me | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R.Wallace [signature]

[1] [p. 284]

The Dell, Grays, Essex. July 21, 1875.

Dear Darwin, — Many thanks for your kindness in sending me a copy of your new book.^1,2 Being very busy I have only had time to dip into it yet. The account of Utricularia³ is most marvellous, and quite new to me. I'm rather surprised that you do not make any remarks on the origin of these extraordinary contrivances for capturing insects. Did you think they were too obvious? I daresay there is no difficulty, but I feel sure they will be seized on as inexplicable by Natural Selection, and your silence on the [2] [p. 285] point will be held to show that you consider them so! The contrivance in Utricularia and Dionaea,⁴ and in fact in Drosera⁵ too, seems fully as great and complex as in Orchids, but there is not the same motive force. Fertilisation and cross-fertilisation are important ends enough to lead to any modification, but can we suppose mere nourishment to be so important, seeing that it is so easily and almost universally obtained by extrusion of roots and leaves? Here are plants which lose their roots and leaves to acquire the same results by infinitely complex modes! What a wonderful and long-continued series of variations must have led up to the perfect "trap" in Utricularia, while at any stage of the process the same end might have been gained by a little more development of roots and leaves, as in 9,999 plants out of 10,000!

Is this an imaginary difficulty, or do you mean to deal with it in future editions of the "Origin"?⁶ — Believe me yours very faithfully, | ALFRED R. WALLACE.