CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN. 383 



was published in 1875; "Insectivorous Plants," in 

 1875 ; " Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilization," in 

 1876 ; The different Forms of Flowers on Plants 

 of the Same Species," in 1877; "The Power of 

 Movement in Plants," in 1880. 



When writing his " Different Forms of Flow- 

 ers," he said, " I am all on fire at the work ; " and 

 of " Insectivorous Plants," " I have been working 

 like a madman at Drosera. Here is a fact for you 

 which is certain as you stand where you are, 

 though you won't believe it, that a bit of hair, 

 TSffUtf of one grain in weight, placed on gland, will 

 cause one of the gland-bearing hairs of Drosera to 

 curve inwards, and will alter the condition of the 

 contents of every cell in the foot-stalk of the 

 gland." 



But he was growing tired with his constant and 

 multifarious labors. He wrote to Hooker : " 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 rewrit- 

 ing that it will not be ready to go to printers 

 for two months, and will then make a confound- 

 edly 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." 



In 1871 the " Descent of Man " was published. 

 He worked on this book three years, and he wrote 

 to his friend, Sir J. D. Hooker, that it had " half 



