VENUS 'S FLY-TRAP. 53 



and enclose the prey with a force surpassing an in- 

 sect's efforts to escape. The fringe of hairs of the 

 opposite sides of the leaves interlace, like the fingers 

 of two hands clasped together. The sensitiveness 

 resides only in these hair-like processes on the inside, 

 as the leaf may be touched or pressed in any other 

 part without sensible effects." After this, another 

 American botanist, who was staying in the district 

 where the " fly-trap " flourishes, resolved upon some 

 experiments, and by feeding the leaves with small 

 pieces of beef he found that these were completely 

 dissolved and absorbed ; the leaf opening again with 

 a dry surface, and ready for another meal, though 

 with an appetite somewhat jaded. He found that 

 cheese disagreed horribly with the leaves, turning 

 them black and finally killing them. 1 



The insectivorous predilictions of Dioncea have, 

 therefore, been suspected, if not demonstrated, for 

 more than a century. In the account of the plant 

 given by Shaw, he commences by alluding to the 

 different methods by which carnivorous animals catch 

 their prey, and then he adds, " What is still more ex- 

 traordinary, there are not wanting amongst vegetables 

 some instances in which the smaller animals meet 

 their fate by alighting on the flowers or leaves ; 

 being either held fast by a viscous exudation from 



1 " Gardener's Chronicle," August 29th, 1874, p. 260. 



