Marvels of the Universe 



17 



of three extremelv sensitive tilaments which 

 are arranged on each lobe — the spring to 

 the trap, as it were. You may Iiandle the 

 leaf quite carelessly and it will not close, 

 but }-ou may close it with a hair. pro\-id- 

 ing the hair touches one of the sensitive 

 tilaments. On tliis page one of the leaves 

 is shown closed and holding a pin, with 

 which I touched one of these sensiti^•e tila- 

 ments. If, however, the capture is not 

 large enough, the insect is allowed to crawl 

 awaj^ unhurt. 



Finally, there are those insecti\-orous 

 plants which set water traps in which to 

 drown their prey. The American Sarra- 

 cenias, or Side-saddle plants, hold up to 

 the sunlight their coloured vase-like leaves, 

 about the mouths of which are glands 

 which secrete honey. Unwary insects. 

 smelling the honey, are attracted towards 

 the leaves, and to further insure that there 

 shall be no turning back when once they 

 approach, the leaves are beautifully streaked 

 and shaded with reds and purples, which 

 contrast with the green shades and make 

 an attractive display of colour. In this 

 waj- the thirsty and unsuspecting insects 

 are lured to the edges of the deadly leaves, 

 and are then led further and further 

 down the tube by still more honey-secret- 

 ing glands. It is, however, a fatal journey, 

 for detentive hairs are arranged to prevent 

 them climbing back again ; and, in some 

 -species, the mouth of the tube is shaded 

 from view by the lid, and curious trans- 

 lucent spots appear in the walls of the 

 tube, against which the trapped insects 

 are continually striking to effect their 

 escape, until completely exhausted they 

 fall into the pool at the base of the vase- 

 like leaf. 



The Darlingtonia, a native of Cali- 

 fornia, behaves in a very similar manner ; 

 while the Pitcher-plants work on almost 

 exactly the same principle, producing 

 beautifully - coloured leaf - structures of 

 pitcher-Uke form. These secrete honey 

 around their rims and beneath their lids, 

 and from glands within an acid fluid, in 



I'hnio 1,11'} [.'. •'■ ll'(II-<(. 



THE VENUS' FLY-TRAP OPEN. 



leaves of this plant are constructed on the principle of ifie 

 tfie frinuing ha 



s interlcclc to prevent the escape of any 



THE VENUS' 



This photograph shows 

 has been induced to snap a 

 left-hand corner. 



[J. J. Ward. 



CLUTCHING A PIN. 



f the leaf, which 

 n the upper 



FLY-TRAP 



the retentive power 

 and hold a pin. as seen 



