346 CELL INTELLIGENCE THE CAUSE OF EVOLUTION 



We say that man's acts are intelligent because he does 

 these things purposely and knowingly for an end. Ani- 

 mals, we say, act blindly, not knowing the purpose of 

 their actions ; except for the fact that man acts knowingly 

 and the animals blindly or unknowingly the actions are 

 the same, that is, intelligent. What right has man to 

 make such silly statements, being himself an animal? 

 Why should his actions be any more knowing than the 

 actions of the other animals? 



In regard to instinctive actions of insects and plants 

 the following by Mr. Walker is interesting : 



"In the pitcher plants the leaves take the form of up- 

 right pitchers. The upper secretes honey, which attracts 

 numerous insects. Below this zone is a slippery surface, 

 the slide-zone, which causes the insects to fall into the 

 water below. These hairs are inclined downward, so that 

 they catch and prevent the insect from climbing out; 

 they are drowned in the water at the bottom of the 

 pitcher, where they decompose and provide food for the 

 plant. 



"It has been said that a further adaptation takes place 

 in one species of pitcher-plant (Nepenthe bicalcarata). 

 The species occurs in Borneo, where a little lemur (Tars- 

 ius spectrum) has learned that it can get a number of in- 

 sects from a pitcher-plant without the trouble of catch- 

 ing them for itself. This particular pitcher plant has got 

 the better of the lemur, however, for it grows two long, 

 strong prickles from the lower side of the base of the lid. 

 These project downwards into the opening of the pitcher, 

 so that the would-be robber is seriously scratched. 



"The manner in which some other carnivorous plants 

 catch their prey is equally remarkable. The leaves of 

 Drosera are provided with numerous tentacles, at the 

 ends of which are glandular enlargements. The tentacles 



