C. R. Darvnii. 287 



L. grandifloruiii, which is crimson, and not uncommon in 

 flower gardens ; I hope I have not made a mistake in 

 name 



" My few crosses in Pelargonium were made to get seed 

 from the central peloric or regular flower (I have got one 

 from peloric flower by pollen of peloric), and this leads me 

 to suggest that it would be very interesting to test fertility 

 of peloric flowers in three ways — peloric pollen on peloric 

 stigma, common pollen on peloric stigma, peloric pollen on 

 common stigma of same species. My object is to discover 

 whether, with change of structure of flower, there is any 

 change in fertility of pollen or of female organs. This 

 might also be tested by trying peloric and common pollen 

 on stigma of distinct species and conversely. I believe 

 there is a peloric and common variety of Tropseolum, and 

 a peloric or upright and common variety of some species 

 of Gloxinia, and medial peloric flowers of Pelargonium, 

 and probably others unknown to me. 



" To recur to Linum ; if you cross distinct species it 

 would, I think, be advisable to take two dimorphic species, 

 and not one dimorphic and the other self-fertile. I have 

 reason to suspect L. trigynum is dimorphic, but it has not 

 yet flowered with me." 



In another letter Darwin says : — 



" I do not know whether you have used the microscope 

 much, yet it adds immensely to the interest of all such 

 work as ours, and is indeed indispensable for such work. 

 Experience, however, has fully convinced me that the 

 use of the compound without the simple microscope is 

 absolutely injurious to the progress of natural history 

 (excepting of course wdth Infusoria). I have as yet 

 found no exception to the rule, that when a man has 

 told me he works with the compound alone, his work is 

 valueless." 



Mr Poole, in his Index of Periodical Literature, gives 

 an extensive list of Darwin's publications, which is 

 reproduced in The Athenccuni for 13th May 1882, along 

 with remarks on Darwin. 



Mr Darwin, after his return from the voyage of the 

 " Beagle," was very much a life-long dyspeptic invalid, able 

 to work continuously at most only three hours daily. And 



