[108]

Sept 7th 27 leaves were received from Mr W. Marshall. whole plant being sent in same case & there were sent for several of them having seed adherent & generally lying in incurved margin — owing to late heavy rain — There were 16 seeds (3 previously sent) on 14 leaves, for 2 leaves each had 2 seeds of the commonest kinds — The 16 seeds consisted of 9 different kind — Three leaves on one plant each had its seed.

These were very few insects, get some. —

[See William Cecil Marshall (1849-1921) to Darwin 5 September [1874] Correspondence vol. 22, p. 443ff. Darwin cited this information in Insectivorous plants, p. 370: "In Cumberland, Mr. Marshall, on September 3, carefully examined for me ten plants bearing eighty leaves; and on sixty-three of these (i.e. on 79 per cent.) he found insects, 143 in number; so that each leaf had on an average 2.27 insects. A few days later he sent me some plants with sixteen seeds or fruits adhering to fourteen leaves. There was a seed on three leaves on the same plant. The sixteen seeds belonged to nine different kinds, which could not be recognised, excepting one of Ranunculus, and several belonging to three or four distinct species of Carex. It appears that fewer insects are caught late in the year than earlier; thus in Cumberland from twenty to twenty-four insects were observed in the middle of July on several leaves, whereas in the beginning of September the average number was only 2.27. Most of the insects, in all the foregoing cases, were Diptera, but with many minute Hymenoptera, including some ants, a few small Coleoptera, larvae, spiders, and even small moths."]