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Baltimore Nov. 18th 1880

Prof Charles E. Bessey,

Dear Sir

I have been lately reading
your book upon Botany with much pleasure.
On the bottom of page 508 I find
the following paragraph: "The peculiar structure
of the flowers of this order ([?])
has recently been shown to be for the purpose
of pollination." Will you kindly refer me
to the descriptions which you have in mind?
I have lately met with a peculiar arrangement
of the [pollens?] and its appendages in a
single flower of one of the milkweed which
was given on an arrangment which I do
not find described in the books. The structure
in question, if I have properly interpreted it, will
be found I think, to take an active part
in attaching itself to visiting insects. With the
[?] single specimen I was not able to
determine the species to which it belonged but if I find