328 CLIMBING AND INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. [1875. 



have this day's work ; and this I owe to your Ladyship's 

 great kindness. 



The seeds are very curious monsters ; I fancy of some 

 plant allied to Medicago, but I will show them to Dr. Hooker. 

 Your Ladyship's very gratefully, 



CH. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to y. D. Hooker. 



Down, September 30, 1874. 



MY DEAR H., Your magnificent present of Aldrovanda 

 has arrived quite safe. I have enjoyed greatly a good look 

 at the shut leaves, one of which I cut open. It is an aquatic 

 Dionaea, which has acquired some structures identical with 

 those of Utricularia ! 



If the leaves open, and I can transfer them open under 

 the microscope, I will try some experiments, for mortal man 

 cannot resist the temptation. If I cannot transfer, I will do 

 nothing, for otherwise it would require hundreds of leaves. 

 You are a good man to give me such pleasure. 



Yours affectionately, 



C. DARWIN. 



[The manuscript of ' Insectivorous Plants ' was finished in 

 March 1875. He seems to have been more than usually 

 oppressed by the writing of this book, thus he wrote to Sir 

 J. D. Hooker in February : 



" You ask about my book, and all that I can say is that 

 I am ready to commit suicide; I thought it was decently 

 written, but find so much wants rewriting, that it will not be 

 ready to go to printers for two months, and will then make 

 a confoundedly big book. Murray will say that it is no use 

 publishing in the middle of summer, so I do not know what 

 will be the upshot ; but I begin to think that every one who 

 publishes a book is a fool." 



The book was published on July 2nd, 1875, and 2700 copies 

 were sold out of the edition of 3000.] 



