SOME REMARKABLE WAYS OF PLANTS 165 



California, and other tropical parts. Beautifully shaped 

 hanging pitchers grow on them, partly filled with 

 liquid. These, too, act as traps. Creatures fall, or fly, 

 or creep into them, to be 

 caught and held fast until they 

 die, when again they are 

 slowly digested. 



One of the commonest and 

 best-known of such plants is 

 the Sundew,^ widely spread 

 through North Europe and 

 North America. It grows 

 usually on exposed moor- 

 lands, and also in some very 

 cold regions. 



Here it is the leaves which 

 act as traps. Each leaf lies 

 flat on the ground, in shape 

 slightly " trough-like " and 

 very sticky. Any small insect 

 alighting there is caught and 

 held firmly, despite all its 

 struggles. 



At the first touch of a 

 victim the leaf begins to pour 

 out juices from the little 

 glands, which have power to 

 manufacture such juices, and 



its edges turn slowly and ruthlessly up, curling over so 

 as to imprison the unfortunate prey — once more to 



1 Drosera. 



PITCHER-PLANT. 



