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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



two inches below the surface of the ground, whereas 

 in August they are six. Therefore they must make 

 two journeys annually ; one downwards between 

 April and August, and another upwards between 

 August and the following April. If this is so, why 

 did not the tuber mentioned by Mr. Malan as being 

 planted deeply, rise to the surface? As to the new 

 tuber going down for the purpose of obtaining fresh 

 ground, this is obtained — and to my mind in a more 

 effectual manner— by its growing by the side of the 

 old one, and travelling always in one direction. 

 Lastly, as to the breaking of the spike rendering the 

 next year's tuber abortive, this from Mr. Malan's 

 own reasoning I cannot understand. He argues that 

 the tuber has little or nothing to do with the flowers 

 and leaves, but simply converts itself, as it were, into 

 a new one ; and mentions a case where he saw a 

 perfectly healthy plant minus the tubers. Now if 

 this is so, what can the breaking of the scape of the 

 old flower have to do with the new one ? The old 

 tuber takes no part in the growth of the spike, and of 

 necessity would not be injured by any damage to the 

 scape ; how then can the new tuber be thus affected ? 

 I hope that Mr. Malan will take these notes in the 

 spirit intended — that of obtaining all the facts pos- 

 sible about this very interesting plant. 



G. M. 



THE SUN-DEWS. 



ON the skirts of the New Forest, about a mile 

 out of Lymington, following the coast line 

 towards Hordle Cliff, you come upon Pennington, a 

 straggling village, as all villages are in that part of 

 the county ; you soon emerge on a large stretch of 

 open uncultivated land, the first portion, near the 

 church, and it may be presumed the centre of the 

 "village," for there is no other evidence of the fact, 

 the common proper commences, a place devoted to 

 cricket, the browsing of donkeys, and the privileges 

 of the commoners generally. Beyond this, still bear- 

 ing towards the coast, for half a mile, you reach 

 primitive ground ; land trodden often, but untouched 

 by plough or spade since the days of the Red King. 

 In the distance the fir tops, black and weird, backed 

 by an angry setting sun, can only be compared to the 

 roofs and spires of a far distant city. But we are not 

 here to contemplate the distant, so much as to seek 

 for curious plants, and here they may be trodden 

 down and crushed at every footstep. In this respect, 

 the spot is full of interest ; here and there the shallow 

 stratum of gravel has been pared off, revealing the 

 chalk subsoil, leaving pools of surface water, which 

 trickle away into boggy patches ; such a pool is the 

 metropolis of Rotifera, Polyzoa, Diatoms, Desmids, 

 and the many marvels of microscopic life. Large 

 tussocks of water-loving mosses, and soft treacherous 

 places become the nidus of a minute and strange 



vegetation ; and it is here (associated with, and 

 modestly hidden by, its constant companion, the Sphag- 

 num) may be found in great abundance, that strange 

 insect-sucking plant, the spider of the vegetable 

 world, sun-dew {Drosera rotundifolia). It is supposed 

 to be somewhat rare and localised, but its minute- 

 ness renders it liable to be overlooked, except to the 

 practised eye (and sharper eyes than mine first 

 detected it on these commons). It can only be dis- 

 covered by one who knows the plant, and who 

 purposely seeks for it ; to reveal its peculiarities it 

 requires a magnifying power — its habitat is that of a 

 dry sunny atmosphere (attractive to insects), with a 

 constantly wet and extremely rich boggy soil ; it shuns 

 interference, could never be transplanted or cultivated 

 without the most constant attention, as it would re- 

 quire "feeding." In this part of the county it was 

 supposed to be found only in the recesses of the 

 picturesque woods and preserves of Arnewood House, 

 about a mile beyond ; without doubt, Drosera is 

 common enough when you have observant eyes to 

 "spot" it. 



The readers of Science-Gossip are too well ac- 

 quainted with the plant to need any botanical 

 description, but it is possible that many have never 

 seen it under the most favourable circumstances. In 

 Mr. Darwin's " Insectivorous Plants," most admirable 

 drawings are found of its structures ; microscopical 

 preparations of its leaves, hairs, and tentacles are 

 within easy reach, as well prepared as they could 

 possibly be. Again, you may endeavour, but in 

 vain, to preserve it in "captivity," a term not inex- 

 plicable, for it would require " feeding ; " and even if 

 taken fresh from the bog, and as speedily as possible 

 carried to your microscope, in every case its unique 

 peculiarity and beauty would be lost. In a word, to 

 behold it in its integrity, and to see the adaptability 

 of the plant to the purposes of its peculiar necessities, 

 it must be examined on the spot ; if ever a plant was 

 born to blush unseen, it is Drosera ; lifting it from 

 its bed, and examining at once through a good platy- 

 scopic pocket-lens, is to behold what no drawing 

 could illustrate, no pen could describe. In six plants 

 examined, the leaves of all, with few exceptions, 

 contained the integuments of insects sucked dry : 

 ants and the smaller diptera seem to be the principal 

 prey, but the interest of the plant consists in the 

 singular conformation of its catching apparatus ; the 

 centre glands of the leaf are obviously a modification 

 of the outer tentacles which entirely surround the 

 leaf. An insect coming into contact with only one 

 of these processes is at once enveloped and delivered 

 up to the centre glands to do their work ; the tentacles 

 again expand for the capture of fresh prey. These 

 glands and tentacles, seen under a lens, are singularly 

 beautiful"; each is tipped with a droplet of tenacious 

 and treacherous liquid, gleaming in the sunlight like 

 diamonds. Any insect (and often many are of con- 

 siderable size) touching them at once stimulates the 



