392 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Vor 



escape increase the irritability of the plant, whose fangs only 

 open when the movements of the animal have ceased with its 

 life. In every age there are voluptuous people who are attracted 

 "by that which promises mere pleasure to the senses, and they 

 pursue it, reckless of all danger. They light upon it as these 

 flies do on this singular plant, despite the warnings of expe- 

 rience. But the tree of destiny is inexorable, and it kills them 

 as a consequence of their actions. To move is useless ; escape 

 is hopeless. v. 



Competitive Voracity. 



The voracity for riches, which is one distinguishing trait of 

 nineteenth-century civilisation, is well illustrated by the hydrse, 

 a genus of polype. These hydrse are exceedingly voracious, and 

 feed only on living animals. Sometimes two polypes will 

 seize upon the same worm, when a dispute, of course, ensues, 

 which occasionally ends in a very singular manner. If the 

 weaker of the two does not feel inclined to let slip a booty, for 

 which he has, perhaps, been waiting with extended tenta'cles for 

 several days, it sometimes happens that each polype swallows 

 the end which has fallen to his share, until at length the worm, 

 being all gone, the mouths of the pair come into actual contact. 

 They now find themselves in a position of considerable difficulty, 

 which is sometimes terminated by the breaking of the worm ; 

 but if this does not take place, the larger or stronger of the two 

 seizes upon his antagonist, and swallows him worm and all. 

 Who has not seen an analogous proceeding in commercial circles, 

 where fortune-hunters, liquidators, joint-stock company pro- 

 moters, and their class, are always endeavouring, as they de- 

 scribe it, to " best " one another in reference to spoil for which 

 they contend ] It is observable, too, that the competitor who, 

 for the time, may be successful in amalgamating the whole of 

 his neighbour's riches, does not always succeed in extinguishing 

 his neighbour. The man disappears from the commercial 

 circle for a time, but he reappears " after many days " to wage 

 another war for wealth. Marvellous to relate, the swallowed 

 polype also survives the results of competitive voracity, and 

 after a time he emerges uninjured from his living tomb. The 



