To A. R. Wallace 22 July [1875]1
Down, Beckenham, Kent
July 22nd.
My dear Wallace
Many thanks for your note and am glad to hear that you are so hard at work you cannot read my book.2 If at any time you are curious on subject, you will find development of the Droseraceæ discussed in closing part of Chapt. XV, and I think I have thrown some light on the acquirement of wonderful power of digestion.— With respect to Utricularia, I can explain nothing, for there are no gradational genera, and even the embryology or development of the present bladders not made out.— With respect to the Droseraceæ, I think there is no doubt about the advantage which they gain by catching insects, as they can then live in extremely poor soil, as I show with respect to our common Drosera.3
My dear Wallace | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Insectivorous plants. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.
Summary
Glad to hear that ARW is so busy.
CD believes that he has thrown some light on the acquirement of the power of digestion in Droseraceae [in Insectivorous plants].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10088
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alfred Russel Wallace
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 148: 271
- Physical description
- C 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10088,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10088.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23