268 FERTILISATION [l86l. 



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 Mormodes, which will 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 move- 

 ment 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. 1, 1 861 : — 



" If you really can spare another Catasetum, when nearly 

 ready, I shall be most grateful ; had I not better send for 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 instantaneously. ... A 

 cursed insect or something let my last flower off last night." 



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

 n'est pas lui qui aurait demande de constrUrre 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 publication 



* ' Darwin consider^, &c.,' ' Ar- Naturelles,' 3 erne pe'riode. Tome 

 chives des Sciences Physiques et vii. 481, 1882 (May). 



