184 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. x- 



supply of moisture is perennial and constant. Such is 

 the Indian-cup (Sarraccnia) that grows in the bogs of 

 Canada, and the Californian pitcher-plant (Darlingtonia 

 calif ornica) , which also grows in hogs, and is such an 

 excellent fly-trap, that there is generally a layer of from 

 two to five inches of decomposing insects lying at the 

 bottom of the cup.* The different species of Drosera, 

 or sun-dews, possess quite a different apparatus for 

 catching insects, and they also live in bogs, which 

 supports the inference that plants growing in such situa- 

 tions have some especial need to obtain nutriment, 

 which they cannot draw from the decaying vegetation on 

 which they live. Possibly they obtain the salts of 

 potash in this way. I did not notice any provision in 

 the leaves of the Bromeliaceous epiphytes of Chontales 

 to ensure the capture of insects, but often saw their dead 

 bodies in the water held at the base of the leaves, and 

 any that came to drink would be very liable to slip into 

 the water from off the nearly perpendicular side of the 

 leaf and be drowned. It is not impossible that the small 

 supply of mineral salts required for the organisation of 

 these plants that do not draw any nutriment from the 

 earth may be obtained from dead insects, but, as I have 

 already stated, I believe that the principal object is to 

 lay up a store of water to carry them safely through the 

 dry season ; and, incidentally, the further advantage has 

 been gained that insects fall into the receptacles of 

 water and are drowned, affording in their decomposition 

 nourishment to the plants. 



Our road now lay over the damp grassy hills of the 

 Libertad district. It edged away from the Amerrique 

 * See " Nature," vol. iii. pp. 159 and 167. 



