1876.] Carnivorous Plants. 589 
eighteen small flies. The glandular hairs move toward the fly 
when irritated. 
Drosera longifolia has a very long, slender leaf, also covered 
with glandular hairs. It rapidly coils up from the tip, catching 
flies, which it devours and absorbs. 
North America has eight species of pitcher plants (Sarraceni- 
acew) the leaves of which catch insects. They have stiff hairs 
inside, pointing downward, which prevent the escape of most in- 
sects. Some have a sweet secretion below the opening at the top 
on the outside. This grows sweeter and sweeter and more abun- 
dant, till it comes to the opening, to entice foolish flies to the 
fatal pit whence no fly ever returns. 
Catesby, some years ago, thought these pitchers were an asy- 
lum for insects to escape from frogs and other animals. I have 
here some fresh specimens of Sarracenia purpurea, the only 
pitcher plant found in Michigan. Pouchet, in his popular book, 
The Universe, speaking of this plant, says, “ The leaves rise 
from spot to spot at the feet of the traveler, and are filled with 
pure and delicious water, for the benefit of which he is all the 
more grateful that he is encircled by nothing but marshes.” The 
truth is, the water abounds in rotten bugs and worms. 
Of Nepenthes there are some thirty species, most of which 
secrete honey on some parts of their pitchers, to entice insects, 
which they catch and devour. 
The spathe of Alocasia, it is said, catches slugs and destroys 
them in a strong secretion. For a full account of the above in- 
teresting plants, see Dr. Hooker’s Inaugural Address, last year, 
at the British Association, printed in Nature, x. 366. 
Pinguicula catches insects. ; 
According to Mrs. Treat, bladderworts ( Utricularia) catch in- 
fusoria and other small animals. These are taken by strange 
devices in the little bladders, which work like some miniature eel 
ap. The animals are dissolved and contents absorbed by the 
plant. In addition to the above, we have quite a large number 
of other plants belonging to divers natural orders, which catch 
Insects. The young leaves and stems of Rhododendron is one of 
them. A species of Plumbago in the green-house, sent from the 
Agricultural Department at Washington, has viscid hairs about 
the flowers, large enough to eatch and hold a common house-fly, 
even if caught by one or two legs. Several species of Polanisia, 
“pea viscosa, some species of Physalis, and Solanum, catch 
Small insects by sticky hairs on the younger portions of the plant. 
