THE CRUEL PLANT. 



Perhaps the point and the jaws may be considered part of the anther, 

 •covering two pollinia. The drawing presented will make the structure 

 clear to you. 



%. 6 



Fig. 7 



Fig. 1. — Section through middle of flower ; imbricated passages at the base, around the 

 Incipient seed-vessel. 



Fig. 2. — Plan — looking into the flower, showing the arrangement of the " jaws." Petals 

 removed. Enlarged two and a half diameters. 



Fig. 3. — The "jaws," showing their inclination. 



Fig. 4. — How the proboscis of a moth is caught and held. 



Figs. 5 and 6. — Escaped Pollinia, protruding from between the jaws. 



Figs. 7 and 8. — The Pollinia, after removal of the jaws. The tip of the style is at a., Fig. 8. 



Now when the flower is immature, these jaws ai-e soft, but as it 

 comes into full bloom, they harden and become woody. At this time 

 the proboscis of a moth, thrust towards the nectaries, slides into the 

 little gi'oove between the jaws, and when once inserted, is caught like 

 a boot in a boot-jack. The " Silver Y " tugs hard and long, but tugs 

 in vain, and in a few hours dies. 



You will at once perceive that a plant which catches a moth by the 

 proboscis and lets it dangle and dry up, is not insectivorous. It 



