1877 ME. R DAEWIN ON DEOSEEA 57 



quite sees that Frank does not pronounce dogmati- 

 cally on the question. 



The second point which dehghted me, seeing that 

 half of the botanists throughout Em'ope have pub- 

 lished that the digestion of meat by plants is of no 

 use to them — (a mere pathological phenomenon as 

 one man says !) — is that Frank has been feeding 

 under exactly similar conditions a large number of 

 plants of Drosera, and the efEect is wonderful. On 

 the fed side the leaves are much larger, diJGEerently 

 coloured, and more numerous — flower stalks taller 

 and more numerous, and, I beHeve, far more seed- 

 capsules, but these not jet counted. It is particu- 

 larly interesting that the leaves fed on meat contain 

 very many more starch granules (no doubt owing to 

 more protoplasm being first formed), so that sections 

 stained with iodine of fed and unfed leaves are to 

 the naked eye of very difEerent colour. 



There, I have boasted to my heart's content ; and 

 do you do the same, and tell me what you have been 

 doing. 



Yours very sincerely, 



Ch. Dabwtn. 



From G. J. Bomanes. 



Dunskaith, Boss-shire : August 11, 1877. 



I was very pleased to get your long and genial 

 letter, which I will answer seriatim. 



The ' musUn ' in the hypothetical plexus seems to 

 be very coarse in some specimens and finer in others 

 — ^the young and active individuals enduring severer 

 forms of section than the old. And in exploring by 



