THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 299 



with such men as Darwin, Forel, Mayer, Asa Gray, and 

 others, who in turn have frequently expressed their obliga- 

 tions to her. 



Endowed by nature with a spirit of enduring patience, 

 and developing a deep enthusiasm for her life-work, she 

 joyfully devoted to it countless hours of silent watching in 

 the heat of summer suns, sittting or standing statue-like in 

 her " Insect Menagerie," or finding her delight in bending 

 over the microscope while others slept. 



In botany, in addition to a close and exhaustive study 

 of the flora of New Jersey and of Florida, Mrs. Treat has 

 made the insectivorous plants hep special study, and has 

 given to them prolonged investigation, visiting Florida for 

 this purpose in 1876, 1877 and 1878. The results of her 

 researches in regard to the structure and habits of Drosera^ 

 Dionseay Pingaicula, Sarracenia, and especially of Utricularia 

 have been valuable additions to science. 



In her " Home Studies in Nature " she criticised Dar- 

 win's statement as to the manner in which the latter plant 

 entraps its victims ; to which Darwin replied : " It is pretty 

 clear that I am quite wrong," and accepted her conclusion. 

 In his work on " Insectivorous Plants," he again pays 

 a just tribute to her unusual powers of careful observation, 

 saying (page 281) : " Perhaps the blades of vigorous plants 

 would bend over captured insects, and Dr. Canby informs 

 me that this is the case ; but the movement cannot be 

 strongly pronounced, as it was not observed by Mrs. Treat.'* 



The following incident also illustrates the prevision 

 with which she set forth some of the facts regarding the 

 peculiar behavior of insects under the allurements of 

 Sarracenia variolaris, and which she styled a kind of 



