^T. 56.] C. DARWIN TO A. GRAY. 557 



the clear fluid of the glands, charged now with some 

 animal matter. 



In transplanting some Drosera into a pan with wet 

 moss, the older leaves may not work well ; but the new 

 ones developed soon will do better. Pray experiment 

 upon this and Dionaea. I wonder if there ever were 

 series of intermediate states between the inefficient 

 Drosera and the expert Diona3a. . . . 



August 21. 



... I inclose half a letter which came from Darwin 

 this morning. I hope you will go on with work on 

 Diona3a. . . . 



C. DARWIN TO A. GRAY. 

 (Half of letter referred to above.) 



DOWK, BROMLEY, KENT, August 8. 



MY DEAR GRAY, I have been glad to see Mr. 

 Canby's interesting letter on Dionaea, and I thank you 

 for sending it ; but unfortunately the facts are not new 

 to me. Several years ago I observed the secretion of 

 the " gastric juices " and the close adhesion of the 

 two sides of the leaf when a fly was caught. I keep 

 my notes in such an odd fashion that it would take me 

 some time to find them. I am almost sure I ascer- 

 tained the acid reaction of the secretion and its anti- 

 septic power, but I cannot remember whether in this, 

 or in analogous cases, I found its subsequent reabsorp- 

 tion. This letter fires me up to complete and publish 

 on Drosera, Dionaea, etc., but when I shall get time 

 I know not. I am working like a slave to complete 

 my book. 



