ll the petals were irregularly formed. This seems at least to me a
priori a more probable view than to look at one form of Peloria as due
to reversion and the other as something distinct. (660/4. See Maxwell
Masters, "Vegetable Teratology," 1869, page 235; "Variation of Animals
and Plants," Edition II., Volume II., page 33.)

What do you think of this notion?

LETTER 661. TO P.H. GOSSE.

(661/1. The following was written in reply to Mr. Gosse's letter of May
30th asking for a solution of his difficulties in fertilising Stanhopea.
It is reprinted by the kind permission of Mr. Edmund Gosse from his
delightful book, the "Life of Philip Henry Gosse," London, 1890, page
299.)

Down, June 2nd, 1863.

It would give me real pleasure to resolve your doubts, but I cannot.
I can give only suspicions and my grounds for them. I should think the
non-viscidity of the stigmatic hollow was due to the plant not living
under its natural conditions. Please see what I have said on Acropera.
An excellent observer, Mr. J. Scott, of the Botanical Gardens,
Edinburgh, finds all that I say accurate, but, nothing daunted, he with
the knife enlarged the orifice and forced in pollen-masses; or he simply
stuck them into the contracted orifice without coming into contact
with the stigmatic surface, which is hardly at all viscid, when, lo and
behold, pollen-tubes were emitted and fine seed capsules obtained. This
was effected with Acropera Loddigesii; but I have no doubt that I have
blundered badly about A. luteola. I mention all this because, as Mr.
Scott remarks, as the plant is in our hot-houses, it is quite incredible
it ever could be fertilised in its native land. The whole case is an
utter enigma to me. Probably you are aware that there are cases (and
it is one of the oddest facts in Physiology) of plants which, under
culture, have their sexual functions in so strange a condition, that
though their pollen and ovules are in a sound state and can fertilise
and be fertilised by distinct but allied species, they cannot fertilise
themselves. Now, Mr. Scott has found this the case with certain orchids,
which again shows sexual disturbance. He had read a paper at the
Botanical Society of Edinburgh, and I daresay an abstract which I have
seen will appear in the "Gardeners' Chronicle"; but blunders have crept
in in copying, and parts are barely intelligible. How insects act with
your Stanhopea I will not pretend to conjecture. In many cases I belie