THE PUNCHBOWL. 99 



the sun's rays, whence the common English appella- 

 tion, as well as the scientific one, the word Drosera 

 being derived from the Greek Spoiro?, dew. That the 

 object of the secretion is the capture of insects is 

 highly probable, from what we learn by comparison 

 of these with other plants, where a similar end is 

 obtained by different means ; but of what benefit to 

 the plant the prey can be, when captured and de- 

 tained by so ingenious a device, botanists have not as 

 yet been able to decide. It is conjectured that some 

 element may be given out during the decomposition 

 of the animal substance, which may be requisite for 

 the sustenance, or at least the health, of these strange 

 plants. Both the asphodel and the sundew were 

 growing in considerable abundance in this particular 

 locality. 



We came now to the curious object which gives 

 name to the little valley, the Punchbowl. It is a 

 basin of the common granite, four feet in diameter, 

 and one in depth, with a uniform thickness of six 

 inches. Both the concave and the convex surfaces 

 are segments of very perfect spheres ; and the whole 

 conformation is so regular as scarcely to permit a 

 doubt that it is 4he work of art. And yet, when we 

 inquire what could be the purpose of such a piece of 

 sculpture, and how it could have got to a situation so 

 wild, so remote from any trace of man, and altogether 

 so unlikely as the side of this boggy valley, especi- 

 ally considering that its weight must have presented 

 no small obstacle to its removal from any other 



