Chap. XVIII.] CAPTURED PREY. 365 



rendered difficult by the sharp incurved hairs on the lips, and 

 as soon as they passed some way down the neck, it would 

 be scarcely possible for them to return, owing to the many 

 transverse rows of long, straight, downward pointing hairs, 

 together with the ridges from which these project. Such 

 creatures would, therefore, perish either within the neck 

 or utricle; and the quadrifid or bifid papillae would absorb 

 matter from their decayed remains. The transverse rows of 

 hairs are so numerous that they seem superfluous merely for 

 the sake of preventing the escape of prey, and as they are 

 thin and delicate, they probably serve as additional ab- 

 sorbents, in the same manner as the flexible bristles on the 

 infolded margins of the leaves of Aldrovanda. The spiral 

 arms no doubt act as accessory traps. Until fresh leaves 

 are examined, it cannot be told whether the line of junction 

 of the spirally wound lamina is a little open along its whole 

 course, or only in parts, but a small creature which forced 

 its way into the tube at any point, would be prevented from 

 escaping by the incurved hairs, and would find an open path 

 down the tube into the neck, and so into the utricle. If the 

 creature perished within the spiral arms, its decaying re- 

 mains would be absorbed and utilised by the bifid papillse. 

 We thus see that animals are captured by Genlisea, not by 

 means of an elastic valve, as with the foregoing species, but by 

 a contrivance resembling an eel-trap, though more com- 

 plex. 



Genlisea africana (South Africa). Fragments of the 

 utriculiferous leaves of this species exhibited the same struc- 

 ture as those of Genlisea ornata. A nearly perfect Acarus 

 was found within the utricle or neck of one leaf, but in 

 which of the two was not recorded. 



Genlisea aurea (Brazil). A fragment of the neck of a 

 utricle was lined with transverse rows of hairs, and was fur- 

 nished with elongated papillae, exactly like those within the 

 neck of Genlisea ornata. It is probable, therefore, that the 

 whole utricle is similarly constructed. 



Genlisea filiformis (Bahia, Brazil). Many leaves were 

 examined and none were found provided with utricles, 

 whereas such leaves were found without difficulty in the 

 three previous species. On the other hand, the rhizomes 

 bear bladders resembling in essential character those on the 



