gO PINGUICULA LUTEA.—YELLOW BUTTERWORT. 
Basil, in 1541, a history of plants. It had long been known as 
“Butterwort” by the English, and it would be quite natural for 
the common name to suggest the botanical one, and “ Pingui- 
cula” would regularly follow. But “ Butterwort” does not seem 
to have been derived from the greasy feel of the leaves, but 
from the power possessed by the plant of rapidly turning cream 
into butter. Linnzeus observed that the soft white hair which 
covered the leaf secreted a glutinous fluid. These glutinous 
leaves were put by the inhabitants of northern Europe into a 
sieve, and then the fresh milk of the reindeer passed through, 
and in a day or so afterwards it became a firm buttery mass. 
This butter was a popular article of diet with the Swedes, and it 
is as fair a deduction that a plant which actually made butter, 
should thereby earn the name of “ butterwort,” or butterplant, 
as that it comes from the leaves having a greasy feel which might 
suggest any oily, greasy feel, as well as that derived from butter. 
Moreover, old Gerarde, one of the earliest writers on English 
gardening, calls the plant “ Butter-root,” which he would scarcely 
do, if the “butter” was simply in relation to the greasy feel of 
the leaves. Asa rule, it would be just as well if names meant 
nothing; but when they are supposed to be connected with the 
history of the plant, it becomes important that the history should 
be scrupulously correct. It may be noted here that Gesner 
supposed the European Prngiicu/a was the plant referred to by 
Pliny as Dodecatheon, but this name was subsequently transferred 
by Linnaus to an American genus of plants having little relation 
to this. 
Pinguicula has become a plant of more than usual interest 
since Mr. Darwin discovered that the acrid excretion of the 
leaves catches insects and in a manner digests them. Besides 
that, a considerable amount of motion is exercised by the leaves 
when catching insects. Mr. Darwin noticed that the glands 
secreted much more freely when excited by touch; and the leaves 
which had the glands the most sensitive in this respect were 
those which exhibited the most motion. The motion is, however, 
