RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1862.06.20. [Note on Orchis maculata.] CUL-DAR70.13-14. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 8.2021. RN2
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR70 contains material for Darwin's book Orchids (2d ed. 1877).
Darwin used these observations in the German translation of Orchids, p. 22 and in 'Fertilization of orchids', p. 142 (F1748).
June 20/62/
George watched Orchis maculata in big woods today & in a hour caught 6 Flies (Empis livida named by Mr Wallace) with long hard proboscis, inserting proboscis into the nectaria. These all had pollinia attached to one or both spherical & rough eyes, on level with antennae - one had a pair attached to base of small antennae; one had 5 pollinia attached; another had 3, symmetrically attached & depressed. He also caught a smaller black fly (Empis pennipes) sucking but not standing in
My son G. D who is an entomologist
symmetrical position; one of them had 5 pollinia attached to convex thorax; & the other had 3.
No less than 3 of these 8 flies with pollinia had been caught by Spiders which haunt this plant. I saw the large fly inserting proboscis, & 2 I find glued to stigma of Cattleya in hot- house. William saw a fly remove pollinia of O. maculata at Southampton. I have no doubt O. morio & mascula similarly fertilised.
The depressed pollinia were parallel to proboscis & some little way above it; excellently adapted to strike stigma
A Dr from Southampton sent me 3 flowers of O. latifolia with the smaller black fly [E. pennipes] within nectary, where he killed it.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 30 October, 2022