Botanical Researches. 1 45 



results. He substituted nature for man in the case 

 of wild animals, and saw, in the conditions of life, the 

 climate, the lack or even supply of food, etc., elements 

 which would produce varieties, then species, in long 

 eras of time. So bold a theory could but shake the 

 scientific world to its very centre, and a Darwinian 

 war waged for years. In the end the quiet, unas- 

 suming naturalist won the battle, one opponent after 

 another laying down his arms, until, to-day, scientists, 

 almost to a man, accept his grand idea as the 

 embodiment of truth. 



About the year 1839, when collecting facts relating 

 to the preceding work, Darwin was attracted to the 

 cross-fertilisation of flowers by insects, and for many 

 succeeding summers he made careful observations 

 and studies, which, in 1862, resulted in a work 

 entitled " The Fertilisation of Orchids," the actual 

 labour on which, he tells us, cost him ten months of 

 close application. This is one of his most delightful 

 books, leading the reader into what has aptly been 

 termed the fairy-land of science, and telling a 

 wondrous story of the devices of nature to secure 

 perpetuation. 



In 1864 Darwin sent an elaborate paper on 

 " Climbing Plants " to the Linnaean Society, which 

 represented the labour of four months, during which 

 time he was often seriously ill. This was published 

 in book form in 1875, and received a hearty recogni- 

 tion from the scientific world. It contained many 

 original observations, and created active interest in 

 botanical studies. Another work on the " Varia- 

 tion of Animals and Plants under Domestication " 



