442 ' FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [1861. 



wonders of nature ; but how far the public will care for such 

 minute details, I cannot at all tell. It is a bold experiment ; 

 and at worst, cannot entail much loss ; as a certain amount 

 of sale will, I think, be pretty certain. A large sale is out of 

 the question. As far as I can judge, generally the points 

 which interest me I find interest others ; but I make the 

 experiment with fear and trembling, — not for my own sake, 

 but for yours. . . . 



[On Sept. 28th he wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker : — 



" What a good soul you are not to sneer at me, but to pat 

 me on the back. I have the greatest doubt whether I am not 

 going to do, in publishing my paper, a most ridiculous thing. 

 It would annoy me much, but only for Murray's sake, if the 

 publication were a dead failure." 



There was still much work to be done, and in October 

 he was still receiving Orchids from Kew, and wrote to 

 Hooker : — 



" It is impossible to thank you enough. I was almost mad 

 at the wealth of Orchids." And again — 



" Mr. Veitch most generously has sent me two splendid 

 buds of Morracdes, which v, ill be capital for dissection, but 

 I fear will never be irritable ; so for the sake of charity and 

 love of heaven do, I beseech you, observe what movement 

 takes place in Cychnoches, and what part must be touched. 

 Mr. V. has also sent me one splendid flower of Catasetum, 

 the most wonderful Orchid I have seen." 



On Oct. 13th he wrote to Sir Joseph Hooker : — 



'' It seems that I cannot exhaust your good nature. I 

 have had the hardest day's work at Catasetum and buds of 

 Mormodes, and believe I understand at last the mechanism of 

 movements and the functions. Catasetum is a beautiful case 

 of slight modification of structure leading to new functions. 

 I never was more interested in any subject in my life than in 

 this of Orchids. I owe very much to you." 



Again to the same friend, Nov. i, 1861 : — 



