NEPENTHES. 197 



•tores them up unquestionably for the food 

 of itself or its progeny, probably depositing 

 its eggs in their carcases, as others of the 

 same tribe lay their eggs in various cater- 

 pillars, which they sometimes bury after- 

 wards in the ground. Thus a double pur- 

 pose is answered ; nor is it the least curious 

 circumstance of the whole, that an European 

 insect should find out an American plant in a 

 hot-house, in order to fulfil that purpose. 



If the above explanation of the Sarracenia 

 be admitted, that of the Nepenthes will not 

 be difficult. Each leaf of this plant terminates 

 in a sort of close-shut tube, like a tankard, 

 holding an ounce or two of water, certainly 

 secreted through the footstalk of the leaf, 

 whose spiral-coated vessels are uncommonly 

 large and numerous. The lid of this tube 

 either opens spontaneously, or is easily lifted 

 up by insects and small worms, who are sup- 

 posed to resort to these leaves in search of a 

 purer beverage than the surrounding swamps 

 afford. Rumphius, who has described and 

 figured the plant, says u various little worms 

 and insects crawl into the orifice, and die 

 in the tube, except a certain small sqailla 



