Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2009 | Page 70

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

Darwin described the picture as “better than

The letters were prompted by Darwin’s

any other which has been taken of me”.

fascination with orchids and he asked More
for specimens of marsh helleborine from the

Lymington

Bembridge area. He also asked for specimens

Darwin’s eldest son, William Erasmus, lived in

of bee orchid from Freshwater Gate and

Southampton. Darwin often asked his son to

autumn ladies tresses from downland on the

search out species in the New Forest rivers,

Island. He asked More for his observations on

including cutgrass. In letters he wondered at

insects that pollinated these plants. The flow

the resilience of life, describing the “minute

of letters between these two highly inquiring

crustaceous animal said to live in the brine

minds went on for two years and concluded

pans of Lymington” which “may affirm that

with the publication of ‘On the contrivances by

every part of the world is habitable”.

which British and foreign orchids are fertilised
by insects’ by Darwin in 1862. In the book he

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Bembridge

references More’s help.

In 1860 Darwin began corresponding with the

ia Margaret Cameron. Albumen print, 1868.

botanist A G More, who lived in Bembridge.

Now follow in his footsteps