1862] The Bee-Orchis proves intractable. 159 



moths, on the probosces of which I am assured the pollen- 

 masses of the Bee-Orchis still adhere." 



" But alas the pollen-masses turned out to belong to 

 O. pyramidalis," he added in a subsequent letter (Sept. 5th, 

 1860). And all through the summer of 1861, Mr. Darwin's 

 references to Ophrys apifera are amusingly despondent. 

 (June 2] "If you pass any group of Bee-Orchis, pray glance 

 at a few to see if pollen-masses are removed ; but I despair 

 of ever making out this species." (June 17) " You propose 

 to look at Bee again, and very glad I shall be to hear 

 result. But I am convinced this flower will remain an 

 everlasting puzzle to me." (July 17) "I found the other 

 day (near Torquay) a lot of Bee Ophrys with flowers nearly 

 all withered, and with the glands of the pollinia all in 

 their pouches. All facts point clearly to eternal self-ferti- 

 lisation in this species : yet I cannot swallow the bitter 

 pill." 



Of the other two orchids asked for in Mr. Darwin's first 

 letter, Aceras anthropophora was not an Isle of Wight 

 species ; Spiranthes autumnalis was sent in due course, 

 and proved an interesting study. " The Spiranthes came 

 in splendid condition (Sept. 5th, 1860), and I send you 

 hearty thanks, for I have had a most interesting day's 

 work, and find new types of structure in rostellum." It 

 would doubtless have given rise to more correspondence, 

 but that Mr. Darwin, the same autumn, himself found 

 the plant at Eastbourne, which enabled him personally 

 to experiment on its economy, as well as (next summer) to 

 give his Bembridge correspondent a caution " You men- 

 tion Spiranthes : it is no use watching this, for I watched 

 it last autumn at Eastbourne till I was sick." 



Throughout the letters there are frequent references to 

 Mr. More's health, which indeed was very precarious during 

 those years, and often interfered sadly with his wish to oblige 

 his correspondent. Mr. Darwin's considerateness is very 

 conspicuous in his many allusions to this subject. "If you are 

 quite well and taking walks, and if you are not utterly sick 

 and weary of me and my requests (begins one letter), I should 

 be very glad of three or four spikes of Orchis latifolia 

 and O. maculata, with a few of the lower flowers withered. 



