RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1862.06.20. [Note on Orchis maculata.] CUL-DAR70.13-14. Edited by John van Wyhe (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).
[13]
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
[13v]
My son G. D who is an entomologist
[14]
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