DIONjEA. 



185 



when fairly caught it emitted a disagreeable odor pecul- 

 iar to this family of insects." 



" June 5tk. — The leaf on No. 5, which closed over the 

 homopterous insect, opened to-day ; leaf healthy, noth- 

 ing left of the bug but the shell." 



It will be seen from this that it took fourteen days 

 to digest the bug; and beetles smaller than the house- 

 fly were longer in being digested than soft-bodied in- 



FIG. IS. — OPEN LEAF-TRAP OF DIONjBA MUSCIPULA (NATURAL SIZE). 



sects — their shelly covering for a time seemed to resist 

 the action of the slimy substance that soon envelops the 

 insect. A beetle — the common rose-bug {Macrodactylus 

 subspinosus) for instance — could not be held prisoner if 

 it had sense enough to escape quickly, but it would 

 usually press close to the bottom of the leaf-trap to 

 hide — as is its habit when disturbed — and in a short 

 time it was hid very effectually. I will again quote 

 from my record : 



"June 7th. — A large strong leaf on plant No. 9 at- 

 tempted to entrap a 'rose-bug,' but the sprawling bee- 



