PLANTS THAT FEED ON INSECTS. 
ERHAPS it would be difficult to find in the whole 
range of vegetable creation anything more curious 
than the carnivorous or flesh-eating plants. That animals 
eat plants creates in us no emotion of curiosity, for this is 
the common law of nature. But that plants should devour 
animals is a marvel to which few minds uninitiated in science 
would give credence. Though these strange forms of vege- 
table life have been known for about a century, yet it has 
been but a few years since the attention of naturalists was 
first specially called to their habits and character. No one 
has probably done more to explain the life and operations 
of the flesh-eating plants than Mr. Darwin. 
For centuries strange rumors had been circulated of the 
existence of huge plants in the more remote and unvisited 
parts of Asia which would imprison and destroy large ani- 
mals and men that would venture within reach of their great 
quivering leaves armed with hooked spines, the flesh of the 
dead victim being absorbed into their structure, but all these 
giant flesh-eating trees or plants have so far proved to be 
mere myths. Science has discovered, however, that there is 
some foundation for these exciting fictions, and it has not 
been obliged to go to the distant East to find it, for flesh- 
eating plants are by no means uncommon in this country 
and Europe. But these plants confine their destructive pro- 
pensities to the crawling and flying insects which are beguiled 
by some tempting reward to rest on their leaves. Sucha 
strange provision of nature is no less interesting than if these 
plants had the power to destroy the larger animals, for it is 
