l86l.] OF FLOWERS. 26$ 



The following extracts of letters to Sir J. D. Hooker illus- 

 trate further the interest which his work excited in him : 



" Veitch sent me a grand lot this morning. What wonderful 

 structures ! 



" I have now seen enough, and you must not send me more, 

 for though I enjoy looking at them mzich, and it has been 

 very useful to me, seeing so many different forms, it is 

 idleness. For my object each species requires studying for 

 days. I wish you had time to take up the group. I would 

 give a good deal to know what the rostellum is, of which I have 

 traced so many curious modifications. I suppose it cannot be 

 one of the stigmas,* there seems a great tendency for two 

 lateral stigmas to appear. My paper, though touching on 

 only subordinate points will run, I fear, to 100 MS. folio 

 pages ! The beauty of the adaptation of parts seems to me 

 unparalleled. I should think or guess waxy pollen was most 

 differentiated. In Cypripedium which seems least modified, 

 and a much exterminated group, the grains are single. In 

 all others, as far as I have seen, they are in packets of four ; 

 and these packets cohere into many wedge-formed masses in 

 Orchis ; into eight, four, and finally two. It seems curious 

 that a flower should exist, which could at most fertilise only 

 two other flowers, seeing how abundant pollen generally is ; 

 this fact I look at as explaining the perfection of the con- 

 trivance by which the pollen, so important from its fewness, 

 is carried from flower to flower" (1861). 



" I was thinking of writing to you to-day, when your note 

 with the Orchids came. What frightful trouble you have 

 taken about Vanilla; you really must not take an atom 

 more ; for the Orchids are more play than real work. I have 

 been much interested by Epidendrum, and have worked all 

 morning at them ; for heaven's sake, do not corrupt me by 

 any more" (August 30, 1861). 



* It is a modification of the upper stigma. 



