168 CELL INTELLIGENCE THE CAUSE OF EVOLUTION 



to of a volume, the midrib serving as hinge while the 

 teeth at the edges interlock like clamped ringers. The 

 sense bristles too shut up, as a blade of a pen knife 

 closes. If the touch which evokes this response has been 

 given by say the end of a pencil the two halves of the 

 leaves will slowly open again and the bristles raise them- 

 selves but if some insect brushes against them, then the 

 rapid closing of the leaves makes it a prison, while out 

 of the glands of the surface of the leaves a digestible fluid 

 quickly overwhelms the poor victim. When the nutritive 

 parts are completely absorbed, the six sense bristles once 

 more stand erect ready for action like soldiers on guard. 

 Indeed it is an open question whether in the whole animal 

 world there is a more perfectly constituted organ of touch 

 than is found in the dionia or Venus Fly Trap." 



I have myself examined a number of these plants and 

 the general description above is correct. On each side of 

 the leaf are three sentinels on guard, simply hairs or 

 feelers to give notice to the thousand or more individuals 

 to act as one in slapping the trap shut and catch the insect 

 when he gets inside of the dead line. Consider the situa- 

 tion here a colony of cells in the shape of a plant. Here 

 is no brain, nerves or muscles, as we understand them, 

 simply a plant. Still it is a colony of cells in the same 

 manner that an animal is a colony of cells. Insects are 

 not absolutely necessary as food for the builders of this 

 plant still they have devised and built an elaborate and 

 effective machine with which to catch flies. Considering 

 the size of the fly trap enormous numbers are required to 

 perform the work of slamming the trap shut when notified 

 to do so. They are not fooled by anything, and the trap 

 doors only shut upon insects or food. It is inconceivable 

 that the builders and operators of this fly catching ma- 

 chine can be anything but conscious and intelligent be- 



