^x. 63.] TO W. M. CANBY. 649 



BOTANIC GARDEN, July 8, 1874. 



DEAR CANBY, Yours of 7th instant received. I 

 thought you had live Darlingtonia. Of ours the old 

 plant has died after starting three new offsets. But 

 the growing leaves are small. If it goes on I may 

 do something. Thus far I have detected no water in 

 the tubes, nor any sticky secretion. But I shall slit 

 one soon. Make notes for Hartford. 



You have not guessed the conundrum, though you 

 have made a step in distinguishing the two different 

 movements. 1 11 tell you. It is to strain out the small 

 flies. Do you take ? Or want details ? I send you 

 Darwin's late letters, one came this evening. We 

 have lost all those Pinguiculas. 



Can we get any from Wilmington now ? Are there 

 any near Dr. Mellichamp ? You may forward Dar- 

 win's last letter to him and set him to observing, 

 collecting and preserving leaves with insects stuck 

 fast, and margin turned over. See if ours turn over 

 the edge ! 



How does D. find out they digest ? 



July 14. 



When Dionaea is irritated by a small fly, he has 

 plenty of time to escape through the meshes, and the 

 leaf soon opens, ready for better luck next time. 

 Think what a waste if the leaf had to go through all 

 the process of secretion, etc., taking so much time, 

 all for a little gnat. It would not pay. Yet it would 

 have to do it except for this arrangement to let the 

 little flies escape. But when a bigger one is caught 

 he is sure for a good dinner. 



That is real Darwin. I just wonder you and I 

 never thought of it. But he did. 



