and Structure of Plants. 289 



Just so, the entire frond at first absorbs nourishment in 

 plants, afterwards particular parts only ; in some advanced 

 instances the root chiefly, in others the leaves also ; in some 

 both pages of the leaves, in others one side only ; and in some 

 only particular parts even of the selected surface. In most, 

 where the leaves are feeders, they form organs of absorption 

 only, but in some few cases they become organs for the reten- 

 tion of food also. And here another circumstance requires 

 our atlention, for in these receptacles, especially of Sarra- 

 cennia and Nepenthes, are generally (almost invariably) found 

 flies and many small insects, which tempted to enter, either by 

 the fluid itself or the excretions from the plant, often of a 

 saccharine nature, with which it becomes mixed, are denied 

 egress, either by the closing lid, its vaulted form, the contracted 

 throat, or the bristly barrier before alluded to ; the hairs of 

 which being all pointed inwards, like the entrance to an eel- 

 weir, or the wires of a mouse-trap, may easily be passed in 

 one direction, but not in the other. The prey is thus entrapped 

 and held, just as by the teeth of fish and other animals, fre- 

 quently situated, not only on the tongue and palate, but also in 

 the throat and stomach, being, like the hairs in these plants, 

 organs of retention, not of mastication for their food. 



It has often been objected to as an act of cruel amusement, if 

 not of sheer malevolence, on the part of Nature, to set these 

 vegetable fly-traps, as in the Dionsea, Drosera, Sarracennia, 

 &c, to ensnare and destroy the heedless flies, shortening their 

 already ephemeral existence; but observation and experiment 

 would rather lead to the conclusion, that such sacrifices of 

 the smaller insects form no unimportant items in the food 

 of certain plants. In the pouch of one small Sarracennia, 

 examined a few days ago, I found twelve common flies, and 

 two woodlice ; and the multitudes imprisoned and destroyed 

 by the Dionaja and other plants would lead one to believe, 

 were it from their number only, that Nature could never sanc- 

 tion such a waste of animal life, were it not to answer some 

 important end in the well-being of those plants she has fur- 

 nished with these organs of destruction. The little sundew 

 which grows commonly in our bogs and marshes, abundantly, 

 pear London, on Hampstead Heath, would itself furnish sufti- 



