178 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



therefore give the record of this day's experiments and 

 the state of the weather. 



July 11th, thermometer stood thns : 1 a.m., 68° ; 2 p.m., 

 79° ; 9 p.m., 69°. Rain early in the morning, one-third 

 of an inch. Wind in the morning, N. E. ; 2 p.m., S. E. ; 

 9 p.m., S. E. ; with rising barometer from 29.96 to 30.05. 



July 11th, 10 a.m., I pinned some living flies half 

 an inch from the leaves, near the apex, of D. filifor- 

 mis. In forty minutes the leaves had bent percepti- 

 bly towards them. At twelve o'clock the leaves had 

 reached the flies, and their legs were entangled among 

 the tentacles and held fast. I then removed them three- 

 quarters of an inch farther from the leaves. The leaves 

 still remained bent away from the direction of the light 

 towards the flies, but did not reach them at this dis- 

 tance. 



Whether the action of their wings may have created 

 sufficient force to bring the leaves near enough to en- 

 tangle them is a question I have not yet satisfactorily 

 settled in my own mind, for dead flies did not seem to 

 have the same power as living ones. 



Fifteen minutes past ten of the same day I placed 

 bits of raw beef on some of the most vigorous leaves 

 of D. longifolia. Ten minutes past twelve two of the 

 leaves had folded around the beef, hiding it from sight. 

 Half-past eleven of the same day I placed living flies 

 on the leaves of D. longifolia. At twelve o'clock and 

 forty-eight minutes one of the leaves had folded entire- 

 ly around its victim, and the other leaves had partially 



