BOTANY. 687 
+ that Sarracenia is a truly insectivorous plant, and that by its se- 
cretions and structure it is eminently fitted to capture its prey. 
: Second: That those insects most easily digested (if I may use 
the term), and most useful to the plant, are principally ants and 
‘ small flies, which are lured to their graves by the honeyed path, 
and that most of the larger insects, which are not attracted by 
Sweets, get in by accident and fall victims to the peculiar mechan- 
~ ical structure of the pitcher. 
Third: That the only benefit to the plant is from the liquid 
_ Manure resulting from the putrescent captured insects, some of 
Which doubtless descend to the root-stalk, and probably through 
7 large tubular cells, observed by Mr. Ravenel, passing through the 
petiole into the root. 
; Fourth: That Sarcophaga is a mere intruder, the larva spong- 
_ Ing on and sharing the food obtained by the plant, and the fly 
Fifth: That Xanthoptera, has no other connection with the 
Plant than that of a destroyer, though its greatest injury is done 
after the leaf has performed its most important functions. Al- 
most every plant has its peculiar insect enemy, and Sarracenia, 
all its dangers to insect life generally, is no exception to the 
Tule. 
| Sixth: That neither the moth nor the fly have any structure 
_ Peculiar to them, which enables them to brave the dangers of the 
k Em beyond what many other allied species possess. — C. V. 
4 
G. ; ‘Distrsution or American Wooptanps.*— This is a paper to 
> published in the Statistical Atlas of the United States, now in 
Progress of publication. It is an exhibition of a map, and a 
: description of the methods by which the map was colored. Then 
a Aeh an analysis of the trees of the tree flora in the ten dis- 
: sag into which the United States was divided. The flora of the 
- Unitea States, the author said, is believed to contain over 800 
SR rete tS Thee ne ves ee et SN Ss a a ee | ee LA Seg eet, Pm ae lee a SST rie eee oe 
ieee a dine 2 eee > 
? 
: 
é 
ie 
*Read at the Hartford Meeting of the Amer. Assoc. Adv. Science. 
i 
