Dear M^r. Darwin

I am sending you with this a plant which I suspect of being insectivorous, you will perhaps remember that I sent Horace a specimen of this; last year, w^h. reached him so withered as not to be recognisable.² I find that the flower, w^h. was common in one or two beds in this garden last year, has hardly appeared at all this year; and the plant w^h. accompanies this is the only one I can find at this time. I have been unable to make any further observations & can only state that at times great numbers of minute insects adhere to the plant; in most cases to the under side of the leaves, & that the leaves sometimes show discoloured spots where the insects rest.

I hope this plant may at any rate enable you to determine the species & get more specimens if you think the case worth observing. (There are insects on the plant sent.) I can probably send you more next year if you want them, as I have told the gardener to preserve the plant if he finds it.

I noticed some very fine & greedy pinguiculas this year, I was astonished by the numbers of flies they had caught & send you the butchers list of two fine plants I gathered at the end of July on Sty Head Pass.³

Allowing for the old leaves on w^h. the remains of the flies were so decayed as to be un-countable & for the 2 or 3 un-expanded leaves on each plant, I am sure it is well within the mark to say that they must devour 200 flies a piece during the season.

These were plants selected as being fine, but I am certain I could have found hundreds like them, the weather had been very fine.

If you wish to send me any message about these plants I shall be at 122 Mount S^t. next week.

y^rs. very truly | W. C. Marshall