298 GLIMPSES INTO PLANT-LIFE 



to investigate in plant-life, and not a mere descrip- 

 tion of a few vegetable wonders. Rather would I 

 point out that in studying these deviations from 

 the ordinary type, as elsewhere, the young botanist 

 should try to arrive at some explanation of these 

 peculiarities, bearing always in mind that every 

 part of the plant is created for some special pur- 

 pose. This train of thought, if brought to bear 

 upon our botanical study will prevent our regard- 

 ing the contrivances of these insectivorous plants 

 as mere freaks of nature, which appears to me 

 to be a low and unworthy view to take of such 

 delicate and wonderful structures. 



Occasionally, it is true, we meet with monstro- 

 sities, in the formation of which we fail to see any 

 hidden purpose ; but even here by careful obser- 

 vation we shall probably be able to perceive that it 

 is the result of some injury or the accompaniment 

 of disease from which plant-life is no more free 

 than animal-life is. 



Let us now trace the features that are common 

 to the plants which form the subject of this 

 chapter. 



Perhaps their most interesting function is that 



