PLANTS THAT KIDNAP 147 
Jack-in-the-Pulpit appears pious enough as he 
stands in his royal ministerial chamber surrounded 
by draperies fit for a king! But beware of him, 
for he is a hypocrite! Like the wolf in sheep’s 
clothing, he depends upon his ministerial robes and 
his respectable relatives—for he is a cousin to the 
stately calla lily—to disguise the innate deceptive- 
ness of his nature. His sanctimonious smile and 
his dignified appearance are only lures to the un- 
wary. If he preaches to any flock, it is to the dead 
and decaying insects which he has beguiled into his 
death-trap. 
Inside the palatial walls of Jack’s pulpit there 
is a slippery, treacherous lining. When gnats and 
other small insects enter with the hope of finding 
shelter and food, they slide easily to the bottom, 
whence escape is impossible. Here at the bottom 
of the pulpit may be found the corpses of many 
wanderers—all kidnapped by Rev. Jack! 
Larger insects frequently escape from this lure 
and thus carry the pollen to other plants, but no 
such hope can be offered to the smaller ones. Like 
the weaker human beings, they must finally suc- 
cumb to their fate. 
The fire-pink, or Virginia catchfly, has been well 
named. Its wonderful scarlet blossoms seem to 
fascinate insects by their fire-like brilliancy. This 
