i868 i88i] BROS ERA 40? 



digestion of meat by plants is of no use to them (a mere Letter 731 

 pathological phenomenon, as one man says !), is that Frank has 

 been feeding under exactly similar conditions a large number 

 of plants of Drosera, and the effect is wonderful. On the fed 

 side the leaves are much larger, differently coloured, and more 

 numerous ; flower-stalks taller and more numerous, and I 

 believe far more seed capsules, but these not yet counted. 

 It is particularly interesting that the leaves fed on meat 

 contain very many more starch granules (no doubt owing to 

 more protoplasm being first formed) ; so that sections stained 

 with iodine, of fed and unfed leaves, are to the naked eye of 

 very different colours. 



There, I have boasted to my heart's content ; and do you 

 do the same, and tell me what you have been doing. 



To J. D. Hooker. Letter 732 



Down, Oct. 25th [1876]. 



If you can put the following request into any one's hands 

 pray do so ; but if not, ignore my request, as I know how busy 

 you are. 



I want any and all plants of Hoy a examined to see if any 

 imperfect flowers like the one enclosed can be found, and if so 

 to send them to me, per post, damp. But I especially want 

 them as young as possible. 



They are very curious. I have examined some sent me 

 from Abinger, 1 but they were a month or two too old, and 

 every trace of pollen and anthers had disappeared or had 

 never been developed. Yet a very fine pod with apparently 

 good seed 2 had been formed by one such flower. 



To G. J. Romanes. 3 Letter 733 



Down, August loth [1877]. 



When I went yesterday I had not received to-day's 

 Nature, and I thought that your lecture 4 was finished. This 

 final part is one of the grandest essays which I ever read. 



1 Lord Farrer's house. 



3 The seeds did not germinate ; see the account of Hoya carnosa in 

 Forms of Flowers, p. 331. 



3 Published in the Life of Romanes, p. 62. 



1 Abstract of a lecture on " Evolution of Nerves and Nervo-Systems," 

 delivered at the Royal Institution, May 25th, 1877. Nature, July 

 Aug. 2nd, Aug. 9th, 1877. 



