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whitish steins look fleshy and fat; their whole length is covered 

 by scale-like, overlapping leaves [Fig. 9 (1)]. These pale leaves 

 are broadly heart-shaped and appear to be fastened with their 

 entire base to the stem. Such is, however, not the case, and if 

 we separate a leaf from the stem, we see at once that the appar- 

 ent base is a part of the upper surface rolled back ; in reality, we 

 can distingush the following parts : first, the rather short con- 

 nection with the stem; next, that part which looks like the en- 

 tire surface of the leaf, but which is only a part of it, forming a 

 slanting shield sharply edged; the other part, bent at a sharp 

 angle from the shield, might be mistaken for the lower surface, 

 but belongs in reality also to the upper one; next, the free end 

 of the leaf, forming the rolled-up margin. By this rolling up of 

 the margin, a long cavity is formed right under the base of each 

 leaf, as readily seen in the illustrations. In this cavity enter, by 

 means of five to thirteen small holes, about ten apartments, ex- 

 cavated in the thick leaves themselves. They are, at least in 

 this form, an unicum in the whole vegetable kingdom. 



To learn how the plant uses these apartments, we must look 

 at them a little closer. They are arranged side by side, but dO' 

 not connect with each other; all are higher than broad, with ir- 

 regular wavy walls [Fig. 9 (3)]. Inside these walls we notice two- 

 kinds of organs, which are a little elevated over the epidermis, 

 and project into the cavity. One kind is present in large num- 

 bers, and is formed by a pair of cells united into a button, borne 

 upon a short cylindrical foot; the others, still more numerous,, 

 are formed by large round or elliptical cells.' The walls of such 

 cells are rather thick, and the protoplast living inside of one ex- 

 tends, when excited, fine threads through the openings in the wall 

 [Fig. 9, (5)]. If small animals enter these labyrinths, and touch 

 one of these organs, the protoplasma-threads at once surround 

 the intruder. Only very minute animals are thus held; larger 

 ones are only impeded in their further movements, and are made 

 prisoners. No secretion of any kind has been observed. But 

 as we find after a while only the hard substances of the victims,, 

 such as claws, parts of legs, etc. , in the cavity, whilst flesh and 

 blood have disappeared, we must conclude, that the food derived 

 from the decaying animals must have been absorbed by coming: 

 in contact with the threads of protoplasma. It is possible that 

 the higher button-like glands upon stalks may simply hold the- 

 food, and that the flat ones absorb it; this would also explain th& 

 larger numbers of the former. Other arrangements in the cavity 



