406 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Dr. Masters remarked that the process of assimilation or 

 digestion as carried out by insectivorous plants was similar to 

 what took place in human beings. Plants required suitable food 

 as well as animals. The main fact with regard to them was 

 absolutely undisputed : namely, when they received suitable food, 

 in the shape of pieces of meat or insects, they digested it by 

 means of a ferment, as animals do. What was not quite so 

 certain, however, was the means by which this process of fer- 

 mentation was brought about. At one time it was thought that 

 the plants secreted the digesting fluid entirely by their own 

 organisation ; but now many considered that bacteria had a great 

 deal to do with inducing fermentation. Some authorities, how- 

 ever, doubted whether the plants really gained any advantage 

 whatever from animal food. At any rate growers of Nepenthes, 

 Sarracenias, &c, did not seem to think so, as they generally 

 stopped the orifices of the " pitchers " with a piece of cotton- 

 wool to prevent the insects gaining admission. If this means of 

 prevention were not adopted, the insects would enter much more 

 abundantly and quickly than the plant could digest them, and 

 after a time their decaying bodies would sadly spoil the outward 

 appearance of the beautiful pitchers. Dr. Masters, however, was 

 of opinion that the rotting of the insects and also of the pitchers 

 was for the benefit of the plants. If the carnivorous properties 

 of these plants were denied, it might be asked of what use were 

 these elaborate traps, such as were to be found in the Nepenthes, 

 Sarracenias, Dionasas, Droseras, Pinguiculas, &c. ? 



INSECT-CATCHING PLANTS. 



By Mr. Lewis Castle, F.R.H.S. 



It is not my intention in these few notes to review the whole of 

 the subjects grouped together under the rather misleading titles 

 of " insectivorous" or "carnivorous" plants, as this task has been 

 already so fully and clearly performed by Mr. R. Lindsay that I 

 shall prefer taking a different course, though it is difficult to say 

 anything fresh upon a matter which has been so exhaustively 

 treated in recent years. 



