^T. 63.] TO CHARLES DARWIN. 647 



making a theist of you, " of good and respectable 

 standing." 



Do hurry up the book about Drosera, etc. My 

 plants of Sarracenia variolaris, having lost their 

 spring growth in transmission, have not yet made any 

 that is satisfactory. So I begged Dr. Mellichamp, 

 who had sent me leaves with gorge sanded over at the 

 sweet-secretion part, to send some for the trail. He 

 wrote me it was too late in the season ; they were all 

 drying up. But this morning, with the inclosed postal 

 card, came several with the sand sticking fairly well to 

 the glutinous line, and I send you one of them. I wish 

 I could send you Mellichamp's long letters, about the 

 two sorts of larvse, that appropriate, one the upper, 

 one the lower part of the pitcher. 



My wife (who sends her love to you and yours) is 

 much amused by your backgammon reminiscence. For 

 the year past we have a way of getting on most peace- 

 fully. I sit by her side and play solitaire with two 

 packs of cards, she looks on and helps, and when we 

 don't succeed there is nobody to " flare up " against 

 but luck. Ever yours, A. Gray. 



P. S. — I think I never sent you my felicitations 

 upon your election as Foreign Honorary Member of 

 American Academy Arts and Sciences. 



We are proud to number you among the seventy-five 

 (too many). And, I may teU you, only two negative 

 votes were cast, one by an Academician who made a 

 speech on the occasion, to which nobody vouchsafed a 

 word of reply. A. G. 



Cambridge, June 19, 1874. 

 Mt dear Darwin, — Your second letter reached 

 me last evening, and this morning came from the 



