18621871] JOHN SCOTT 309 



the varieties of the maize. I am glad to hear that you are Letter 634 

 now working on the most curious subject of parthenogenesis. 

 I formerly fancied that I observed female Lychnis dioica 

 seeded without pollen. I send by this post a paper on 

 Primula^ which may interest you. I am working on the 

 subject, and if you should ever observe any analogous case I 

 should be Mad to hear. I have added another very clever 



o * 



pamphlet by Prof. Asa Gray. Have you a copy of my 

 Orchis book ? If you have not, and would like one, I should 

 be pleased to send one. I plainly see that you have the true 

 spirit of an experimentalist arid good observer. Therefore, 

 I ask whether you have ever made any trials on relative 

 fertility of varieties of plants (like those I quote from Gartner 

 on the varieties of Verb as cunt). I much want information on 

 this head, and on those marvellous cases (as some Lobelias 

 and Crinum passiflord] in which a plant can be more easily 

 fertilised by the pollen of another species than by its own 

 good pollen. I am compelled to write in haste. With many 

 thanks for your kindness. 



To J. Scott. Letter 635 



Down, 20th [1862?]. 



What a magnificent capsule, and good Heavens, what a 

 number of seeds ! I never before opened pods of larger 

 orchids. It did not signify a few seed being lost, as it would 

 be hopeless to estimate number in comparison with other 

 species. If you sow any, had you not better sow a good 

 many ? so 1 enclose small packet. I have looked at the 

 seeds ; I never saw in the British orchids nearly so many 

 empty testse ; but this goes for nothing, as unnatural con- 

 ditions would account for it. I suspect, however, from the 

 variable size and transparency, that a good many of the 

 seeds when dry (and I have put the capsule on my chimney- 

 piece) will shrivel up. So I will wait a month or two till I 

 get the capsule of some large Vandeae for comparison. It is 

 more likely that I have made some dreadful blunder about 

 Acropera than that it should be male yet not a perfect 

 male. May there be some sexual relation between A. 

 Loddigesii and luteola ; they seem very close ? I should 

 very much like to examine the capsule of the unimpregnated 



1 Linn. Soc. Journal, 1862. 



