590 Carnivorous Plants. [ October, 
Many species of Silene attract, catch, and hold insects to such an 
extent that the genus goes by the popular name of “ catch-fly.” 
Lychnis vespertina, a kind of cockle sometimes in our wheat 
fields, also takes small insects. It seems to digest them by the 
small glands at the end of the hairs. We need not necessarily 
suppose that they are digested because they are captured by 
sticky plants. 
The large bud scales of the horse-chestnut and balsam poplar, 
in the spring of the year, are often found holding insects by the 
sticky varnish with which the buds are very copiously covered. 
We see that the varnish may be of use to protect the inner deli- 
cate parts of the bud from the inclement weather, but I am una- 
ble to see that insects are of any advantage to the plant when so 
caught. The dry bud scales are sticky for a purpose which we 
can readily understand. The flies are most likely ‘accidentally 
caught. Possibly this is the case with some other plants which 
catch insects by a sticky secretion or other contrivance. I have 
lately given some attention to the Martynia on account of the 
great numbers of small insects which it catches by glandular 
hairs. On August 3d I counted seventy-six small Diptera and 
some other insects on the upper side of a young leaf of about 
four inches average diameter, and two hundred on the under side. 
The insects are caught on all parts of the plant which are eX- 
posed, on the stems, on the calyx and corolla, including even the 
throat of the corolla. Among a lot of others was one plant 
about three feet high, spreading three feet in diameter, which 
according to estimate had seven thousand two hundred sm 
flies on it at one time. The hairs are very numerous all over 
the surface. None of them are sensitive, as I can find. They 
vary exceedingly in length, from three sixteenths of an inch to 
one one-hundredth or even shorter. Some of them have as many 
as ten cross partitions. The contents of these cells appear quite 
clear, except one near the top, next to the top cell. This is larger 
than several of those below, and contains chlorophyll. It seems to 
be something like a gland. Above this is a larger cell, with per- 
pendicular striæa along its sides. When fresh and und 
the top is nearly spherical and resembles a small drop of dew. 
The secretion is quite copious and exceedingly viscid, with an OF 
pleasant odor. I placed some small fragments of raw beef on 
the glands one morning, but the sun seemed to dry them UP» 
much as it did those left on blades of grass which had no eer 
I placed some very minute portions on the glands in a spot she 
isturbed | 
