Vegetable and Animal 
has no real friend. Its children are carried away by 
ants, who probably neglect them ; other ants come and 
“milk” the aphis of its drop of honey. Wasps, birds, 
and several beetles eat the aphis. There is a fungus 
which forms a white threadwork growing over the haw- 
thorn, and this also attacks and kills the aphis, Another 
beetle feeds upon the fungus. Yet the aphis is not at 
all likely to die out, for its progeny are so abundant 
that it can withstand all its enemies and even such a 
bird population as we have in Britain. 
Certain fungi (Mucor exitiosus) also invade the 
bodies of locusts, but unfortunately it has not yet been 
found possible to use this fungus to destroy that danger- 
ous South African and South American pest.® 
Many well-known and often described plants do prey 
upon insects, and indeed live mainly by them. The 
butterwort, whose leaves roll inwards over the midges 
stuck on them ; the pretty little red sundew, with its 
deadly tentacles ; Venus’ fly-trap, which closes and im- 
prisons its fly visitors, are too well known to be again 
treated of here. But there are certain complex cruelties 
connected with Nepenthes bicalcarata of which the 
reader may not be aware. 
There are two remarkable spurs which project or 
curve inwards over its pitcher, and which have been 
compared to the fangs of a snake ready to strike. 
These have intrigued naturalists who could give no 
explanation of them. Burbidge suggested that they 
would prevent the Kobold monkey from scooping out 
the insects with its little hand or fingers, but this 
was not accepted by every one. But Herr Behnick 
states that honey is secreted at the top of these spurs. 
In consequence ants climb up the spurs and so jostle 
and crowd one another that many are pushed off the 
smooth, slippery surface and drop into the pitcher, where 
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