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209 DARWIN (Charles)

Interesting A.L.s., 5 1/2 pp., 8vo, Down, 22 Tune [1871], to Traherne Moggridge, referring to Moggridge's investigations on ants, and his own experiments with the fertilization of plants; also another A.L.s. of the same, one page, 8vo, 20 January 1881, concerning a pension for A. R. Wallace (2)

"... I like to try experiments with only the ghost of a chance of success; so that I had intended (but failed from the plant being very rare this season) to have fertilized every flower accessible of about 20 plants and mark them. And to have marked 20 or more plants which were to be left to the imperfect agency of insects. I should then have compared at the close of the season the general state of virgin and the appearance of the capsules of the two sets. Should opportunity offer, would you feel inclined to try this hopeless experiment?" etc.