284 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



insectivorous plants, introduced in the September number of 

 the 'Entomologist' by Mr. Corbin (Entom. xi. 197), 1 must 

 say that I think the use of the various epidermal appendages 

 of plants has not yet received sufficient attention, since 

 doubtless through the hairs, glands, &c., plants obtain a 

 large proportion of their food ; in fact these appendages 

 may be considered as embryo roots. Take for example a 

 plant growing in rich moist soil, and observe the more 

 generally glabrous character of its foliage; and then observe 

 even the same species in an arid situation, and see the 

 profusion of hairs with which it becomes covered, acting 

 doubtless not only as means to obtain food by absorption of 

 nitrogen from the dew, &c., but also for protecting the plant 

 from too great heat or cold. Besides the plants noticed by 

 Mr. Corbin as insectivorous Saxifraga triddctylites may be 

 added, as being able not only to retain, but also to assimilate, 

 insects; and the various Saxifrages, — Saxifraga geuni^ 

 S. iimbrosa, >S. granulata, S.hirsuta; Chrysospleniuni. ; &c., 

 — all are clothed with hairs extremely sensitive to ammonia, 

 as discovered by Dr. Darwin, and on which insects frequently 

 get caught. The various SilentB are named catch flies, from 

 the same property; but as yet I have not found thai assimi- 

 lation follows the capture of insects by them. This property 

 is possessed also in a large degree by the lovely Menziesia 

 poli/olia, the viscously hairy peduncles always having some 

 Diptera attached. I have noticed also insects dead or dying 

 on Diotis maritima, in Jersey ; on Picris hieracio'ides ; on 

 Silene conica, S. quiiiquevulnern, S. anglica, S. tioctijlora, 

 and S.nulaiis; and on Cerasliuni telrandrum : the latter 

 had several small beetles adhering to it, Epilobium parvi- 

 Jiorum. On the connate leaves of Dipsacus plenty of insect 

 debris is always to be found ; and Mr. Francis Darwin has 

 recently made a most interesting discovery of the means by 

 which untriuient is obtained from the liquid contained in 

 these connate receptacles. Senecio viscosus and S. sylvaticus, 

 Soiichiis (irvensis, Hyoscyamus niger^ and various Oroban- 

 chaceoB, also have been noticed with adhering insects. It is 

 worth remembering that plants entirely destitute of hairs, 

 notably our indigenous Orchidacea and SiliacecB, generally 

 have excessive root development, as bulbs, tubers, &c. ; and 

 also that the Orubanchacece, often parasitic upon plants 

 totally insufficient to yield the nourishment for such large 

 plants, are covered with long glandular hairs, through which 

 a very considerable portion of nutrition must be obtained; 

 and like the Drosera, Pinguicula, Corallorhiza, Neottia 



