THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 75 



with which U. laterifolia is provided, tliougli the utricles of this 

 plant <ire onl}' 1-4 or l-5th as large as those of U. dicliotoma. 



The bladder when fresh in nearly every case contained a large 

 bubble of air, or some gas, and many of them contained the larvaa 

 of insects or riinall crustaceans. One shown to me by Mr. F. 

 Barnard, contained seven larvae or crustaceans, very little decomposed. 

 The utricle on a slide I show to-night, shows one larva almost 

 perfect, and several others in various stages of decay. The quadrifid 

 glands and the cells of the collar of utricles, contained remains of 

 animal life, give evidence of the absorption of nitrogenous matter 

 since they contain a quantity of granular protoplasm, some of a 

 brown colour, which is absent from the empty bladder. 



There can therefore, be no doubt, that the Australian Utriculariaa 

 like those examined by Darwin, are carnivorous, and present an 

 equally complex and wonderful structure. 



Though the utricles of the two species I have examined preseafc 

 a general resemblance, and no doubt fulfil the same function, they 

 differ in the following particulars. 



1. The bladder of the U. dicliotoma are 4 or 5 times as large as 

 those of U. lateriflora. 



2. The antenna of the former species is more slender, and 

 divides into two hairs. 



3. The ventral surface of U. dicliotoma is furnished with slender 

 multicellular hairs, while the cortesponding part of the smaller 

 species has singular conical papillte. 



4. Tlie quadrifid processes of U. dicliotoma are smaller, but 

 more immerous than those of U. lateriflora. 



These differences may indicate a difference in the form of leaf, 

 of which the bladders are probably modifications. 



It is possible that the difference in shape of the anteunse and 

 ventral hairs, may be due to the necessity for the larger orifice in 

 the larger bladders to be protected from the access of animals which 

 would be too large for absorption, and which might prove destructive 

 to the organ, a protection wliich the smaller and less noticeable 

 might not need. 



The bladders of U. dicliotoma have not, so far as I know, been, 

 figured or described. This species is nut mentioned in Darwin's- 

 monograph. 



Fbcundity oi'' Snakks. 



Mr. MoitTON, the Curator of tlie Hobart Museum, in opening up a 

 female Hoplocephalus curtus last season, found no less than 109 

 living young ones. This seems to be *' the record" so far, though 

 litters of 70-80 had been met with before. 



