i868— 1881] CROSS FERTILISATION 373 



raised from self-fertilised and crossed seeds, and it is noLetta 

 exaggeration to say that the difference in growth and vigour 

 is sometimes truly wonderful. Lyell, Huxley, and Hooker 

 have se< n some of my plants, and been astonished ; and I 

 should much like to show them to you. I always supposed 

 until lately that no evil effects would be visible until after 

 several generations of self-fertilisation, but now 1 see that one 

 generation sometimes suffices, and the existence oi dimorphic 

 plants and all the wonderful contrivances of orchids are quite 

 intelligible to me. 



To T. H. Farrer (Lord Farrer). Letta 695 



Down, June 5th, 1- 



I must write a line to cry peccavi. 1 have seen the 

 action in Opkrys x exactly as you describe, and am thoroughly 

 ashamed of my inaccuracy. I find that the pollinia do not 

 move If kept in a very damp atmosphere under a glass ; so 

 that it is just possible, though very improbable, that I may 

 have observed them during a very damp day. 



I am not much surprised that I overlooked the movement 

 in Habenaria? as it takes so long. 



1 am glad you have seen .Listera ; it requires to be seen 

 to believe in the co-ordination in the position of the parts, the 

 irritability, and the chemical nature of the viscid fluid. This 

 reminds me that I carefully described to Huxley the shooting 

 out of the pollinia in Catasetum> and received for an answer, 

 " Do you really think that I can believe all that ! " ;< 



To J. D. Hooker. L^ter 696 



I (ow n, 1 ' '. 2nd, r 



It is a splendid st heme, and if you make only a beginning 



on a Flora, which shall serve as an index to all papers on 



curious points in the life-history of plants, you will do an 



inestimable good service. Quite recently I was asked by a 



1 See Fertilisation of Orchids t Ed. 11., p. 4'', where Lord Farrer's 

 observations on the movement of the pollinia in Ophrys muscifera are 

 given. 



- This refers to Peristylus 1 sometimes known as Habenaria 



viridis. Lord Farrer's observations are given in Fertilisation oj e rchids, 

 Ed. 11 , p. 63. 



3 See Letter 665. 



