288 FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [1880. 



Anyhow, you and Mrs. Ogle have done a right good service 

 for Botanical Science. 



Yours very sincerely, 



Ch. Darwin. 



P.S. — You have done me much honour in your prefatory 

 remarks. 



[One of the latest references to his Orchid-work occurs in 

 a letter to Mr. Bentham, February 16, 1880. It shows the 

 amount of pleasure which this subject gave to my father, and 

 (what is characteristic of him) that his reminiscence of the 

 work was one of delight in the observations which preceded 

 its publication, not to the applause which followed it : — 



" They are wonderful creatures, these Orchids, and I some- 

 times think with a glow of pleasure, when I remember making 

 out some little point in their method of fertilisation."] 



