NEPENTHES. 



299 



ously formed leaves, clinging to the trunks and foliage of 

 the trees that fringe the banks of the rivers, or the interior 

 of the forest." After mentioning another species, he con- 

 tinues : — " There are two kinds of pitchers in each species, 

 one growing at some distance from the ground, which is 

 long, slender, and usually green or marbled, spotted at the 

 mouth only, and furnished with a very long footstalk ; the 

 other kind is formed of the lower leaves, and is generally 

 placed upon or near the surface of the ground. These latter 

 are most generally half full of insects, chiefly ants. The 

 pitchers, when full grown, almost invariably contain fluid in 

 different proportions ; in some cups there is nearly an ounce, 

 in others only a few drachms; many of these contain 

 insects which, if not killed, find it difficult to escape out of 

 the limpid and mucilaginous liquid. In one pitcher I found 

 five crickets, hundreds of small ants, mostly dead, and nu- 

 merous larvae of mosquitoes and other gnats. The cups 

 near the ground frequently contain living larvse of Dipterous 

 insects, while the young and elevated cups are- free from 

 them, and contain pure limpid water. The appearance of 

 these beautiful and delicately formed vegetable vases is ex- 

 tremely interesting and very singular, as they hang sus- 

 pended by their fragile handles, offering a cooling draught 



