232 



quickness and its recognition of suitable which they obtain it. There are other 



food material. For example, although it green plants which supplement their food 



will snap shut at the touch of a pencil supply by preying upon other plants. For 



point, or any other indigestible substance, example, the mistletoe is able to manufac- 



it soon opens again; while in the case of ture a certain amount of food for itself, 



a digestible substance the trap remains but it adds to this supply by absorbing 



closed until digestion has taken place. It prepared food from the trees upon which 



has been claimed further that when the it grows. The dodder is another illus- 



trap has closed its bristles do not in- tration of a high grade plant which be- 



terlock closely at first, so that between gins life independently, but presently 



the crevices very small insects may crawl breaks its connection with the soil and 



out and escape. In such an event the becomes entirely dependent upon the 



trap opens again and waits for other prey, plants around which it twines and from 



If this be true, it follows that the leaf does which it absorbs. 



not undertake the rather long process of A great many plants are known as 



digestion until an insect of suitable size root-parasites, that is, they absorb from 



has been captured, one which cannot es- the underground parts of other plants, 



cape through the meshes of the bristles. This is notably the case with the orchids 



Digestion is slow work with Dionaea as and heaths, which have the appearance 



with an anaconda, being said to occupy above ground of being entirely independ- 



not less than two weeks. ent, but which really are quite dependent 



Among the common marsh plants in upon the underground parts of other 



certain regions are the bladderworts, so- plants. 



called because their bodies are kept afloat One of the lowest groups of plants, 

 in water by means of numerous little known as the fungi, have cultivated most 

 bladders. While these bladders are used completely the habit of dependence on 

 in this fashion, they also serve as most ef- other organisms. They attack both plants 

 fective traps for certain very small water and animals, and are often exceedingly 

 animals related to the insects. Each blad- destructive. Among the better known of 

 der has a sort of opening which is guard- these parasites are the rusts, which at- 

 ed by a door like that of an ordinary rat tack and destroy many of our most useful 

 trap. From the side of this entrance hairs crops. To the fungi there also belong the 

 are floating and waving in the water, and well-known bacteria, which are the cause 

 within the transparent bladder are other of numerous contagious diseases both 

 waving tufts of hairs. For some reason among plants and animals. It will be ob- 

 these things are attractive to the minute served that these parasites are using ex- 

 water animals, and they push aside the actly the same sort of food as do the car- 

 easily-moved trap door, and entering the nivorous plants. This does not appear 

 bladder find escape impossible, for the so striking in this case, simply because 

 door, which was easy to push aside on en- the attacking plants are so much smaller 

 tering, cannot possibly be moved out- than the organisms attacked that they do 

 wards. not seem to capture them, although they 



It must not be supposed that carnivor- are often none the less effective in de- 



ous plants are peculiar in the kind of food stroying them. John Merle Coulter, 

 they use, but merely in the source from 



MAPLE LEAVES. 



October turned my maple's leaves to gold ; 



The most are gone now ; here and there one lingers ; 

 Soon these will slip from out the twig's weak hold, 



Like coins between a dying miser's fingers. 



Thomas Bailey Aldrich. 



