14 JOURNAL OF THE 



shows how greatly he possessed the gift of accurate and entertaining 

 description. I quote the passage without apology: 



"The leaf, which is the only curious part, springs from the root, 

 spreading upon the ground or at a little elevation above it. It is 

 composed of a petiole or stem with broad margins, like the leaf of 

 an orange tree, two to four inches long, whii h at the end suddenly 

 expands into a thick and somewhat rigid leaf, tlie two sides of which 

 are semicircular, about two-thirds of an inch across, and fringed 

 around their edges with somewhat rigid cilia or long hairs like eye 

 lashes. It is very aptly compared to two upper eyelids joined at 

 their bases. Each side of the leaf is a little concave on the inner 

 side, where are placed three delicate, hair-like organs in such an 

 order that an insect can hardly traverse it without interfering with 

 one of them, when the two sides suddenly collapse and enclose the 

 prey with a force surpassing an insect's efforts to escape. The fringe 

 or hairs of the opposite sides of the leaf interlace, like the fingers of 

 the two hands clasped together. The sensitiveness resides only in 

 these hair-like processes on the inside, as the leaf may be touched 

 or pressed in any other part without sensible effects. 



"The little prisoner is not crushed and suddenly destroyed, as is 

 sometimes supposed, for I have often liberated captive flies and 

 spiders wliich sped away as fast as fear or joy could hasten them. 

 At other times I have found them enveloped in a fluid of a mucila- 

 ginous consistence, which seems to act as a solvent, the insects 

 being more or less consumed in it. This circumstance has suggested 

 the possibility of their being made subservient to the nourishment 

 of the plant through an apparatus of absorbent ve.ssels in the leaves. 

 But as I have not examined sufiiciently to pronounce on the univer- 

 sality of this result, it will require further observation and experi- 

 ment on the spot to ascertain its nature and importance. It is not 

 to be supposed, however, that such food is necessary to the exist- 

 ence of the plant, but like compost, may increase its growth and 

 vigor. 



" But however obscure and uncertain may be the final purpose of 

 such a singular organization, if it were a problem to construct a 

 plant with reference to entrapping insects, I cannot conceive of a 

 form and organization better adapted to secure that end than are 

 found in the Dionoea muscipula. I therefore deem it no credulous 

 inference that its leaves are constructed for that specific object, 

 whether insects subserve the purpose of nourishment to the plant 

 or not. It is no objection to this view that they are subject to blind 

 accident, and sometimes close upon straws as well as insects. It 

 would be a carious vegetable indeed, that had a faculty of dis- 

 tinguishing bodies, and recoiled at the touch of one, while it quietly 

 submitted to violence from another. Such capricious sensitiveness 

 is not a property of the vegetable kingdom. 



" The spiders net is spread to ensnare flies, yet it catches whatever 

 falls upon it; and the ant lion is roused from his hiding place by the 

 fall of a pebble; so much are insects, also, subject to the blindness 

 of accident. Therefore the web of the one and the pitfall of the 

 other are not designed to catch insects! Nor is it in point to refer 

 to other plants of entirely different structure and habit which some- 

 times entangle and imprison insects. As well might we reason 



