To W. T. Thiselton-Dyer   9 June 1874

My dear Professor Dyer

I was much obliged for your last note.¹ I knew that cabbage seeds contained nitrogen, but was not at all aware how much. I have now made out that the action of seeds on Pinguicola, partly depends on their contents, & partly on their coats being more or less permeable to the secretions. The point which now interests me greatly is that seeds excite Pinguicola far more than Drosera; tho’ the latter, by the movement of the tentacles, pours I suppose 20 times more secretion on the seed, & can digest much more animal matter. Hence I suspect that Ping. digests seeds which may be blown on the leaves; improbable as this is.² And now I am going to ask you several questions of unreasonable length, but not I hope very troublesome.

(1) Do the leaves of all the sp. of Ping. secrete? And are the leaves of all upturned on their edges? This upturning prevents the secretion running off the leaf.

(2) Can you or Hooker give me the address of one or two obliging botanist living near Ping. to whom I c^d write, using your name, & ask him to observe the plant, especially about seeds. I have thought of one or two friends, but want several observers.³

(3) Could you send me a very few heath seeds, allied to our British species, to try on Ping?⁴ Also, any smallish seed destitute of albumen.

(4) Have you any Ping. except P. vulgaris at Kew? & if so, it w^d be an immense aid to me if you w^d place on a leaf well bedewed with the secretion, a little bit of clean stone, a small crushed fly, & a cabbage seed (enclosed) soaked for $\frac{1}{2}$ an hr in water. And then after 24 hrs, observe the effect of all 3 on the secretion   It would be best to try 2 leaves each with the 3 objects.⁵

(5) Will you tell me the generic name of the enclosed weed Luzula or Carex(?) grown in a shady wood, as I have used the half-ripe seeds on Ping.⁶

Pray forgive me for being so troublesome. | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

P.S. I have read that Utricularea catches many insects;⁷ I suppose you have not plants at Kew, one of which you c^d give or lend me.

I see it is allied to Pinguicola.—⁸

It is a dreadful evil to be so ignorant of botany as I am.