KNOWING I was a keen environmentalist with an interest in all wild life, my friend Paul bought me a Dionaea muscipula (a venus fly-trap plant) for my birthday.

It came with an unsuspecting "dinner for one," a little black winged fly, crawling over the hair-triggered leaves of this dangerous specimen.

I switched off the telly and settled down to what I thought would be half an hour of savage nature in the raw! Three days later Stealth, the little black winged bug, had filled his gut and flown off to die of old age on some heap of cow-clap in a distant meadow.

My plant was still a virgin, yet to have his first meal and earn his daily drink of rain water.

My friend Paul says I must talk to the plant - give it time and encouragement. This advice only confuses me - should I tell the plant or Paul to "shut your trap!"

Dale Minks,

Ancress Walk,

York.

Updated: 11:25 Thursday, August 18, 2005