450 TIIE PLEASURE, OR [July. 



unfortunate fly, or any other small animal happens to creep on it, 

 the lobes immediately fold up and confine it: the greater efforts 

 the creature makes to disengage itself, the more it irritates the 

 interior parts, and consequently is the more firmly secured: here it 

 remains till crushed or starved to death; when the irritation having 

 ceased, the lobes open as before, and the remains of the insect is 

 either washed out by the rain, or carried away by the wind. The 

 lobes will also close if the interior be touched with a straw, &c. 



This plant is a native of the Carolinas, where it grows in swamps: 

 it produces in July and August bunches of handsome white flowers 

 on stems of from six to eight inches high, and in the eastern and 

 middle states must be treated as a hardy green-house plant. 



It is propagated both by seeds and suckers, requires a swampy 

 soil, with a mixture of fine sand, and must be kept well watered 

 and in the shade during the summer months. This is a very proper 

 period to take off and plant the suckers: the seed should be sown 

 early in spring, forwarded in a hot-bed, and during the summer 

 months the seedlings ought to be carefully protected from the mid- 

 day sun. 



The Tutsan-leaved Dogsbane. 



The tfpocynum androsxmifolium, or tutsan-leaved dogsbane, is 

 not only interesting on account of its beauty and fragrance, but 

 also on account of the curious structure of its flowers, and their 

 singular method and property of catching flies. 



It is a hardy perennial, indigenous in various parts of the United 

 States, grows in a wild uncultivated state in the neighbourhood of 

 Philadelphia, and usually to the height of from two and a half to 

 three feet, flowering from the beginning of July to September; it 

 has a creeping root, whereby it increases greatly in light dry soils 

 and warm situations, so as even to be troublesome; it will not thrive 

 in wet soil. It is propagated by sowing the seeds in spring, which 

 with us it produces abundantly, or by parting its roots in March or 

 October. 



The flowers of this plant have a sweet honey-like fragrance which 

 perfumes the air, and no doubt operates powerfully in attracting 

 insects; when a plant of this sort is fully blown, one may always 

 find flies caught in its blossoms, usually by the trunk, very rarely 

 by the leg — sometimes four or even five, which is the greatest pos- 

 sible number, are found in one flower, some dead, others endea- 

 vouring to disentangle themselves, in which they are now and then 

 so fortunate as to succeed. 



Previous to explaining the manner in which it appears that these 

 flies are caught, it will be necessary to describe those parts of the 

 flower which more particularly constitutes this fatal fly-trap. 



On looking into the Bower there are perceivable five stamina, 

 the antherae of which are large, of a yellow colour, and converge 

 into a kind of cone; each of these antheraa is arrow-shaped; towards 

 the top of the cone their sides touch but do not adhere, below they 

 separate a little so as to leave a very narrow opening or slit between 



