390 UTRICULARIA NEGLECTA. (Cuar. XVII. 
“three or four hours in being swallowed, the process bring- 
“ing to mind what I have witnessed when a small snake 
“makes a large frog its victim.” But as the valve does 
not appear to be in the least irritable,* the slow swallowing 
process must be the effect of the onward movement of the 
larva. 
It is*difficult to conjecture what can attract so many 
creatures, animal- and vegetable-feeding crustaceans, worms, 
tardigrades, and various larve, to enter the bladders. 
Mrs. Treat says that the larve just referred to are vegetable 
feeders, and seem to have a special liking for the long 
bristles round the valve, but this taste will not account for 
the entrance of animal-feeding crustaceans. Perhaps small 
aquatic animals habitually try to enter every small crevice, 
like that between the valve and collar, in search of food or 
protection. Itis not probable that the remarkable trans- 
parency of the valve is an accidental circumstance, and the 
spot of light thus formed may serve as a guide. The long 
bristles round the entrance apparently serve for the same 
purpose. I believe that this is the case, because the bladders 
of some epiphytic and marsh species of Utricularia which 
live embedded either in entangled vegetation or in mud, have 
no bristles round the entrance, and these under such condi- 
tions would be of no service as a guide. Nevertheless, with 
these epiphytic and marsh species, two pairs of bristles pro- 
ject from the surface of the valve, as in the aquatic species ; 
and their use probably is to prevent too large animals from 
trying to force an entrance into the bladder, thus rupturing 
the orifice. 
As under favourable circumstances most of the bladders 
succeed in securing prey, in one case as many as ten crusta- 
ceans ;—as the valve is so well fitted to allow animals to 
enter and to prevent their escape ;—and as the inside of the 
bladder presents so singular a structure, clothed with innu- 
merable quadrifid and bifid processes, it is impossible to 
doubt that the plant has been specially adapted for securing 
prey. From the analogy of Pinguicula, belonging to the 
saine family, I naturally expected that the bladders would 
* [Guided by her observations (‘ Harper’s Magazine,’ Feb. 1876) on the act 
of capture, Mrs, Treat concludes that the valve is irritable.—F. D.] 
