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sought by flies, and which intoxicates thehi, so that they 

 fall into the pit below. Once there, the stiff hairs of its 

 lining, which, as in the species before us, all point down- 

 wards, prevent all return. Dr. Gray had this summer 

 verified this statement as to the existence of the attrac- 

 tive secretion. Now in the case of the Diongea the fly, 

 after being caught, is soon covered with a secretion from 

 the inside of the leaf, and finally absorbed ,. except the 

 tough and fibrous parts : then the leaf opens and may catch 

 another fly. Reasoning from this to the sundew, it may 

 be inferred that this also catches flies with intemtion, and 

 it may be suspected that either the juices of the fly are 

 absorbed through the sticky glands, or that the ammonia 

 etc., which is given off in decomposition is absorbed, 

 in either case affording food to the plant. And finally, if 

 pitcher-plants are contrivances for catching insects, as 

 they seem to be, Dr. Gray thought it most likely that the 

 water they contain, charged as it is with the products of 

 animal decomposition, is actually absorbed by the plant 

 as a liquid manure, to its benefit. 



S. B. BUTTRICK, of Salem, presented the following list 

 of plants collected during the forenoon's excursion : 



Nemopanthes Canadensis, . . . Mountain Holly. 



Verbena hastata, Vervain. 



Myrica Gale, Dutch Myrtle. 



Aspidium marginale and others. Shield Fern. 



Rhexia Virginica, Deer Grass, or Meadow Beauty. 



Eriocaulon septangulare, .... Fipewort. 



Lycopodium lucidulura, 



Aralia hispida, Bristly Sarsaparilla. 



Gerardia maritima, Seaside Gerardia. 



Cornus Canadensis, Dwarf Cornel. 



Lycopodium dendroideum, . . . Ground Pine. 



Spiraea toraentosa, Hardhack ; Steeple Bush. 



Spira3asalicifolia, Meadow Sweet. 



Monotropa uniflora, Indian pipe. 



