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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



sects, crustaceans, larvae, and fresh-water worms, in various stages of 

 decay. The animals enter the bladder by bending in the free edge of 

 the valve, which shuts again instantly. How it is that such weak and 

 minute animals get into the bladders is not yet understood, but they 

 do succeed in entering as do inanimate objects, if laid upon the valve. 

 The locality of the irritability, if indeed there be any, is not deter- 

 mined. 



Fig. 11. Uteicuxaeia keglecta. Valve of bladder, greatly enlarged. 



Notwithstanding the elaborate mechanism for the capture of ani- 

 mal food, there seems to be no power of digesting it, nor for hasten- 

 ing its decay; although, when decomposition sets in, its products are 

 slowly absorbed by the quadrifid processes ; at least, these processes 

 from bladders containing decayed animals generally show masses of 

 spontaneously-moving protoplasm which do not appear in those taken 

 from clean bladders. 



Fio. 12. Utricuiakia neglecta. Small 

 portion of inside of bladder, much en- 

 larged, showing quadrifid processes. 



Fig. 13. TJtricularia neglecta. One of 

 the quadrifid processes greatly enlarged. 



Investigations were extended to many other species of Uiricularia, 

 with results showing, in all cases, an adaptation for capturing small 

 animals and power to absorb the products of their decay. 



To be classed with this genus, as being insectivorous to a similar 

 extent, are Sarracenia and JDarlingtonia. Upon these Mr. Darwin 

 records no observations. 



