ve
the acutest man could not conjecture without seeing the insect at
work. I could name common English plants in this predicament. But the
musk-orchis [Herminium monorchis] is a case in point. Since publishing,
my son and myself have watched the plant and seen the pollinia
removed, and where do you think they invariably adhere in dozens of
specimens?--always to the joint of the femur with the trochanter of the
first pair of legs, and nowhere else. When one sees such adaptation as
this, it would be hopeless to conjecture on the Stanhopea till we know
what insect visits it. I have fully proved that my strong suspicion was
correct that with many of our English orchids no nectar is excreted, but
that insects penetrate the tissues for it. So I expect it must be with
many foreign species. I forgot to say that if you find that you cannot
fertilise any of your exotics, take pollen from some allied form, and it
is quite probable that will succeed. Will you have the kindness to look
occasionally at your bee-Ophrys near Torquay, and see whether pollinia
are ever removed? It is my greatest puzzle. Please read what I have said
on it, and on O. arachnites. I have since proved that the account of the
latter is correct. I wish I could have given you better information.

P.S.--If the Flowers of the Stanhopea are not too old, remove
pollen-masses from their pedicels, and stick them with a little liquid
pure gum to the stigmatic cavity. After the case of the Acropera, no one
can dare positively say that they would not act.

LETTER 662. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, Saturday, 5th [December 1863].

I am very glad that this will reach you at Kew. You will then get rest,
and I do hope some lull in anxiety and fear. Nothing is so dreadful in
this life as fear; it still sickens me when I cannot help remembering
some of the many illnesses our children have endured. My father, who
was a sceptical man, was convinced that he had distinctly traced several
cases of scarlet fever to handling letters from convalescents.

The vases (662/1. Probably Wedgwood ware.) did come from my sister
Susan. She is recovering, and was much pleased to hear that you liked
them; I have now sent one of your notes to her, in which you speak of
them as "enchanting," etc. I have had a bad spell--vomiting, every
day for eleven days, and some days many times after every meal. It is
astonishing the degree to which I keep up some strength. Dr. Brinton was
here two days ago, and sa