12 



Marvels of the Universe 



of the marvels of the mysterious ocean depths has rendered us entirely unsceptical as to the wonders 

 it may yet conceal from us, wonders which do not, and will not, in the least conflict with sober 

 judgment and scientific knowledge. After all, the ocean is the birthplace of all life, and it is only 

 fitting, therefore, that it should contain within its mighty bosom stranger forms of life than any 

 of which man has vet dreamed. 



SOME PLANTS THAT FEED ON INSECTS 



BY JOH\ J. W.-\RD, F.E.S. 



Plants, by means of their leaves, can absorb light and the carbonic acid gas of the atmosphere. 

 In the chemical laboratory of each leaf the energy of this intercepted light is expended in the pro- 

 duction of organic materials ; the carbon is changed into sugar, starch, and similar substances which 



sustain the living plant during its growth and de\-elop- 

 ment. 



In this way the plant becomes a builder of li^'ing, or 

 energy-yielding, substances from the dead, or inorganic, 

 carbonic acid gas and water. Just how this wonderful 

 change comes about is not clearly understood, but the 

 green-coloured granules which give the green hue to 

 the leaf are an essential factor in the working of the 

 process. 



A plant, therefore, given light, air and water, can 

 manufacture energy-yielding material, or food stuff. 

 In this it differs essentiallj' from an animal. The 

 animal cannot manufacture its own food ; every particle 

 of its structure and every movement that it makes, 

 is at the expense of living material afforded by the leaf 

 or stem or fruit of a plant. To put the matter 

 briefly, the plant is a builder of life-sustaining sub- 

 stances which support either plant or animal life — 

 and these substances the animal can only utilize and 

 destroy. 



Although the plant possesses the power to manu- 

 facture its own food substances, yet sometimes its 

 situation is such that, although it has light, air and 

 water, the water lacks a sufficient amount of nitrates and mineral substances, which are very 

 essential in effecting the necessary changes of its structure. A plant so placed is comparable to a 

 man trying to live on bread alone — the material is not sufficient to carry on the natural functions. 



Such deficiencies have been compensated by the abilitj' of the plant to capture and eat small 

 flying and creeping animals. They are thus enabled to add to their tissues the necessary substances 

 which the soil lacks. 



The non-botanist can hardh' imagine a plant setting itself to catch a fly, yet a visit to almost 

 any bog will reveal thousands of plants so engaged. Bog-land is the natural home of these 

 plant insect-eaters, and they are especially abundant on peat bogs. These peat mosses are so 

 saturated with moisture that access of oxygen is prevented, and various antiseptic acids are 

 formed, so that minute animal life cannot exist amongst them ; and the soil becomes altogether 

 untenable for ordinarv plants, especiallv as nitrogen and essential mineral matters are almost entirely 

 absent. 



A common fly captured by the Sundev 



