THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
27 
are attracted by the gaudy bonnet strings of the lid, and alight 
upon its outer surface. These ribbons are twisted in such a 
manner that an insect upon the outside follows the honey trail 
along the spiral folds, and enters the interior before he is 
aware. The same deflection of bristling hairs occurs in this 
species, as is observed on the lids of our northern Sarracenia, 
so that when the insect decides to turn about, and make his 
exit, the bristling spines prevent progress. He now must re- 
enter the opening beyond, and looks for a place of egress. He 
discovers the pretty windows in the roof of the inflated tube, 
and every step over the deceptive hairs bring him nearer to 
his doom. Escape is impossible. 
The Family Sarraceniaceae was named by the early 
botanist, Tournefort, of Europe, in honor of Dr. Sarrazin, of 
Quebec, who first sent specimens of our northern species, w^ith 
a botanical account of its home life to Tournefort. It was 
first described and illustrated in color in Phillip Miller's ''Fig- 
ures of Plants" in 1760. The plate is an excellent one. 
Pitcher plants may be easily cultivated, and attract much 
interest, and always give pleasure to those observing their 
strange habits. Of course in home or schoolroom culture it 
is necessary to occasionally fill the pitchers with rain water. 
The plants are known to country folk as Indian-dippers, or 
Saint Jacob's dippers. They are also known as huntsman's- 
cup, hunters and berry-pickers, it is said, using them as dip- 
pers or drinking cups. Yet knowing the habits of these 
pitchers, and their secretion of a poisonous fluid, they should 
not be put to such use. A cornucopia made of fragrant white 
birch bark, so plentiful about the forest areas of the north, is a 
much cleaner and safer goblet. 
Many wild animals, it is reported, have learned the habits 
of the Pitcher plant, and avail themselves of stealing the food 
which the plant has ensnared in its tubular leaves. Two 
species of insects are associated with some of the southern 
