18431862] CLOVER 285 



I found out the Verbascum case by pure accident, having Letter 612 

 transplanted one for experiment, and finding it to my 

 astonishment utterly sterile. I formerly thought with you 

 about rarity of natural hybrids, but I am beginning to change : 

 viz., oxlips (not quite proven), Verbascum, Cistus (not quite 

 proven), ^gilops triticoides (beautifully shown by Godron), 

 Weddell's and your orchids, 1 and I daresay many others 

 recorded. Your letters are one of my greatest pleasures in 

 life, but I earnestly beg you never to write unless you feel 

 somewhat inclined, for I know how hard you work. As I 

 work only in the morning it is different with me, and is only 

 a pleasant relaxation. You will never know how much I 

 owe to you for your constant kindness and encouragement 



To John Lubbock (Lord Avebury). Letter 613 



Cliff Cottage, Bournemouth, Hants, Sept. 2nd [1862]. 



Hearty thanks for your note. I am so glad that your 

 tour answered so splendidly. My poor patients 2 got here 

 yesterday, and are doing well, and we have a second house for 

 the well ones. I write now in great haste to beg you to look 

 (though I know how busy you are, but I cannot think of any 

 other naturalist who would be careful) at any field of common 

 red clover (if such a field is near you) and watch the hive- 

 bees : probably (if not too late) you will see some sucking at 

 the mouth of the little flowers and some few sucking at the 

 base of the flowers, at holes bitten through the corollas. All 

 that you will see is that the bees put their heads deep into 

 the [flower] head and rout about. Now, if you see this, do for 

 Heaven's sake catch me some of each and put in spirits and 

 keep them separate. I am almost certain that they belong 

 to two castes, with long and short proboscids. This is so 

 curious a point that it seems worth making out. I cannot 

 hear of a clover field near here. 



1 For Verbascum see Animals and Plants, Ed. II., Vol. I., p. 356 ; for 

 Cistus, Ibid., Ed. II., Vol. I., p. 356, Vol. II., p. 122 ; for ^Egilops, Ibid., 

 Ed. II., Vol. I., p. 330, note. 



2 Mrs. Darwin and one of her sons, both recovering from scarlet 

 fever. 



