222 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xv 



meat will bring out the protoplasmic masses. The closest 

 analogy seems to me that of an independent Amoeba or 

 Foraminiferous animal etc. which feeds by involving at any 

 point of its gelatinous body particles of organic matter and 

 then rejecting them. A mass of rotting insects would give 

 such particles. Perhaps this is your view. But I do not 

 understand what you mean by a resinous secretion becom- 

 ing slimy, or about living insects being caught. I would 

 work at this subject, if I were you, to the point of death. 

 If an Amceba-like mass comes out of cells and catches dead 

 particles and digests them it would beat all to fits true 

 digesting plants. I never saw anything come out of quad- 

 rifids of Utricularia, and I could hardly have failed to see 

 them as I was on look out for secretion. It would be a 

 grand discovery. 



Could you chop up or pound scrapings from raw meat, or 

 better half decayed meat and colour the particles first and 

 then you could see them in the protoplasmic masses; for 

 surely you could hardly expect (unless there is a distinct 

 hole) that they should be withdrawn within the cells of 

 glands. The case is grand. 



I see in last Gardener's Chronicle another man denies that 

 Dioncea profits by absorption and digestion, which he does 

 not deny. It seems to me a monstrous conclusion but 

 this subject ought to be investigated, especially effects on 

 seed-bearing. Teazles good for this. 



Yours affectly. 



C. DARWIN. 



Are any orifices or orifice visible in cut off summit or 

 gland ? For heaven's sake report progress of your work. 



Emma Darwin to her son Leonard at Malta. 



Dow? win/. July 22nd [T 1876], 



. . . The summer keeps on blazing away as if we were in 

 Malta, many of the flowers dying, and none of them growing. 

 The ev s delightful under the limes, so sweet. F. has 

 taken to sit and lie out which is wholesome for him. 



