TURNING THE TABLES.'' 



273 



killing of the insects (although it does possess that 

 power), the conformation of the funnel of the fly-trap 

 is sufficient to destroy them. They only die the 

 sooner, and the sooner become liquid manure." 



Spenser could not 

 have planned a more 

 subtle or cunning 

 story of temptation, 

 deceit, and final ruin ! 

 For " pitchers " and 

 " flies " we have only 

 to substitute the 

 various dissipations 

 of " fast life," and 

 the characters who 

 indulge in them — and 

 both fact and moral 

 hold equally true ! 



Dr. Riley, the dis- 

 tinguished American 

 entomologist, in an 

 article contributed to 

 Science Gossip in 

 1874, sums up the 

 evidence in favour of the Sarracenias being insecti- 

 vorous plants as follows : " There is no reason to 

 doubt, but every reason to believe, that Sarracenia is 

 a truly insectivorous plant, and that by its secretions 

 and structure it is eminently fitted to capture its prey. 



T 



Fig. 98. — Leaves of the Sarracenia, or Side- 

 saddle Plant, one of the Pitcher-plants. 



