198 THK ENTOMOLOGIST. 



fare. Certain it is tliat small creatures are often fonnd 

 inside the bladder-like processes with which the last-named 

 wonderful class of plants are provided ; but how much the. 

 presence of the insects in such a situation contributes to the 

 plant's well-being I leave for others to judge. In the case of 

 the sundews it is very evident that tiie plant absorbs or 

 digests the softer portions of the in)prisoned insect, as the 

 dried and rejected skeletons may sometimes be found almost 

 covering the leaves, and the so-called digestive properties of 

 the plant may be proved by placing one insect within its 

 grasp, and killing another insect of the same species and 

 placing it out of reach on some object near. It will be seen 

 that the insect upon the sundew is skeletonised and sucked 

 dry in a comparatively short space of time, whilst the other 

 dries in the same manner as our cabinet specimens. In the 

 instances above cited the insects seem to have been the 

 iniwilling prisoners of the plants retaining them ; but other 

 instances have come under my observation where the insects 

 appear to have voluntarily settled upon the plant and died. 



A few years ago 1 saw a plant in the New Forest, some 

 species of dead nettle, with many insects attached to its 

 leaves ; and last year, in Devonshire, I saw a somewhat 

 similar occurrence, only that the plant was, 1 believe, akin 

 to the mullein. The leaves of the plants in both cases were 

 beset with vegetable hairs, and the insects might have been 

 partly detained by them, but they were as perfect as any in 

 our cabinets. But the most remarkable instance, which 

 induced me to begin this note, came under my observation 

 last July, as follows: — I was strolling in the meadows by a 

 broad ditch where an abundance of plants common to such 

 situations were growing, as figwort [Scrophiilaria), hemp 

 agrimony {Eupaioriuui), mugwort {Artemisia), &c., and my 

 notice was attracted to the number of flies that were settled 

 upon the last-named plants; and on making a closer 

 inspection 1 was much surprised to find most of the insects 

 were dead. These were attached to the plants in various 

 situations, but in many, if not in all, cases the insect seemed 

 to have settled thereon from choice; some had clasped the 

 points of the leaf, whilst others seemed to hold the smaller 

 stems of the branch in their embrace. Many of the insects 

 were quite perfect, but others v\ere broken from the motion 

 of the plants caused by the wind. At first 1 thought the 

 stnell of the plant had attracted and killed them ; but has it 

 ever been proved that this plant is in any way poisonous to 



