326 BOTANY. [ch. xvi. 



it? The case is truly marvellous ; the (so-called) sensation, 

 or stimulus from a light touch is certainly transmitted 

 through the antennae for more than one inch instantane- 

 ously. ... A cursed insect or something let my last flower 

 oh* last night." 



Professor de Candolle has remarked * of my father, " Ce 

 n'est pas lui qui aurait demande de construire des palais 

 pour y loger des laboratoires." This was singularly true of 

 his orchid work, or rather it would be nearer the truth to 

 say that he had no laboratory, for it was only after the pub- 

 lication of the Fertilisation of Orchids, that he built him- 

 self a green-house. He wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker (Decem- 

 ber 24th, 1862) : 



" And now I am going to tell you a most important piece 

 of news ! ! I have almost resolved to build a small hot- 

 house ; my neighbour's really first-rate gardener has sug- 

 gested it, and offered to make me plans, and see that it is 

 well done, and he is really a clever fellow, who wins lots of 

 prizes, and is very observant. He believes that we should 

 succeed with a little patience ; it will be a grand amusement 

 for me to experiment with plants." 



Again he wrote (February loth, 1863 ) : 



" I write now because the new hot-house is ready, and I 

 long to stock it, just like a schoolboy. Could you tell me 

 pretty soon what plants you can give me ; and then I shall 

 know what to order? And do advise me how I had better 

 get such plants as you can spare. Would it do to send my 

 tax-cart early in the morning, on a day that was not frosty, 

 lining the cart with mats, and arriving here before night ? 

 I have no idea whether this degree of exposure (and of course 

 the cart would be cold) could injure stove-plants ; they 

 would be about five hours (with bait) on the journey home." 



A week later he wrote : 



" You cannot imagine what pleasure your plants give 

 me (far more than your dead Wedgwood-ware can give 

 you) ; H. and I go and gloat over them, but we privately 

 confessed to each other, that if they were not our own, per- 

 haps we should not see such transcendant beauty in each 

 leaf." 



And in March, when he was extremely unwell, he 

 wrote : 



* " Darwin conside>e, &c," Archives des Sciences Physiques et JVaturellcs, 

 3eme periode. Tome vii. 481, 1882. 



