CHAPTER IX. 



IN 1875 appeared another great work from the master's 

 pen, " Insectivorous Plants," which was destined to 

 place in a yet more striking light the many-sidedness and 

 fertility of his mind. As usual Darwin tells us that this 

 work dated from many years back. " During the summer 

 of 1860," he says, "I was surprised by finding how large 

 a number of insects were caught by the leaves of the 

 common sun-dew (Drosera rotundifolia} on a heath in 

 Sussex. I had heard that insects were thus caught, but 

 knew nothing further on the subject. I gathered by 

 chance a dozen plants, bearing fifty-six fully expanded 

 leaves, and on thirty-one of these dead insects or remnants 

 of them adhered." Here was the germ of something, the 

 discoverer scarcely knew what. It was evident to him 

 that the little sun-dew was excellently adapted for catch- 

 ing insects, and that the number of them thus slaughtered 

 annually must be enormous. What bearing might this 

 have upon the problem of the struggle for existence ? 



A masterly series of experiments was forthwith set on 

 foot, with the result of proving that sun-dews and a 

 number of other plants obtain the bulk of their nourish- 



