From George Brownen   30 January 1875

Sir,

Hearing from some friends that you were engaged on a work on “Carnivorous Plants” I have taken the liberty of calling your attention (if not already drawn) to the Hyoscyamus Niger as a plant of a peculiar & as I think carnivorous type.¹ My attention was drawn to two large overblown plants about the middle of last August by the skeletons of insects & flies on & around them. Unfortunately it was too late in the season, the plants were too large, & I was far from my home on a journey so that my observations were few & indecisive— still I saw insects dead or dying amid the viscid (peptic?) hairs & this induced me to secure portions of the plants & a number of ripened fruits that I might be able to study the plant more carefully this year

As soon as it was convenient I removed some of the glandular hairs from the plant & placed them in a little water & added a small quantity of hard boiled white of egg in thin slices— these slices dissolved (digested?) after a few hours. If this plant requires a portion of animal food it is probably our largest British carnivorad and it explains somewhat why the Hyoscyamus is rather difficult to cultivate & that it luxuriates on rubbish, in corners & other unlooked for places—the haunts of insects.

I thought these notes might probably interest you— hoping however I may be forgiven if I have trespassed on your time or written on a subject already known to you as true or otherwise.

I am | yours respectfully | Geo Brownen FCS