To Asa Gray   8 January 1873

My dear Gray,

You sent me a letter dated Wilmington July 9. ’67 about Dionæa. It has no signature but you refer to it as written by M^r. Canlay or Canbay or Cawley.¹ Will you be so kind as to write the name for me distinctly, for some people are so foolish as to say that your handwriting, like mine, is not very legible. The letter has interested me much in some respects & the gentleman seems very kind & willing to oblige. Does he reside at Wilmington now? And if so would you ask him to observe one point for me—namely whether the Dionæa catches large or small insects. It w^d. be advisable to gather a dozen or score of leaves which are quite closely shut, bring them home, & open them. As “large” & “small” are such vague terms it w^d. be very advisable, if not causing too much trouble, to measure the breadth of the broadest part & length (from end of head to end of abdomen) of an average sized captured insect; & then state how many exceeded or were less than this mean. But it sh^d. be particularly stated whether any of the captured insects were quite minute. Does your friend still abide by his conclusion that a leaf after catching an insect never acts again? this agrees with my small experience with Cultivated plants.

Owing to your kindness I have received a letter from M^rs. Treat of Vineland, saying that she w^d. observe D. filiformis next Summer.² You will see by this letter that I am obeying your orders & working on Drosera & Co.³

Yours most sincerely | Ch. Darwin