Butterwort 269 
digesting such animal matter as albumen, fibrine, 
etc. Afterwards, the dissolved nitrogenous matter 
is absorbed by the glands and assimilated by the 
plant. The acid nature of the fluid is not exactly 
a new discovery, for the Laplanders had long used 
the leaves for the purpose of curdling milk, though 
they were probably ignorant of the manner in which 
these acted. 
When insects get caught by the stickiness of the 
leaf, sufficient irritation is set up by their presence 
to cause the margins to fold over upon them, and 
the glands of the portions in contact then secrete 
more copiously than before. There is a natural 
tendency for the lateral margins of the leaf to curve 
slightly inwards and form a channel to collect 
partially-digested insects washed by rain from the 
centre of the leaf; the “bouillon” resulting from 
digestion in the more central portion of the leaf also 
flows towards the marginal channels by whose 
glands it is absorbed. Meat, skimmed milk, and 
other animal substances caused the increased activity 
of the glands, just as they do in the case of the Sun- 
dews; but an advance on the Sundew is manifested by 
Butterwort in its power to digest many seeds, pollen, 
and some leaves. The seeds that cause no apparent 
excitement of the glands are those invested by 
tough coats. There are two other British species. 
The flower is adapted for fertilisation by bees, 
which alight on the lower lp and thrusting their 
proboscis beneath the upper lip to reach the honey 
in the spur, first touch one lobe of the stigma with 
their back, and afterwards get the same part dusted 
with pollen from the anthers; and to prevent this 
