From J. D. Hooker   [after 4 September 1874]1

I have written to this man,2 explaining his case (of surfeit) & asked if he can send you a strong plant, for which I offer him a exchange— I know nothing of him.3

[Enclosure]

Bisterne | Ringwood Hants

Septr. 4th. 74

To Dr. Hooker. Esqr.

Sir,

I beg to forward for your inspection a leaf or Trap of Diomed.4

You will perceive that a blow-fly—has been caught in the trap—and the action of decomposition of the fly—has possitively set in decomposition of the leaf. I cannot perceive that the plant is the least benefited

I am Sir, | Your obedient Servt. | G. Gaterell

CD annotations

Enclosure:
2.2 I … benefited 2.3] ‘Utricularia’5 pencil
1
The date is established by date of the enclosure.
3
Hooker’s note was written at the foot of Gaterell’s letter.
4
Evidently Gaterell meant Dionaea, the Venus fly trap. Hooker had offered to send CD specimens of the plant (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 30 August [1874] and n. 6).
5
CD had been investigating the digestive properties of Utricularia (bladderwort). See letter to J. S. Burdon Sanderson, 21 August [1874] and n. 5, and letter to J. D. Hooker, 30 August [1874].

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9615,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9615