( 41 ) 
fmooth leaves forms a great part of their 
fuftenance in fevere winters. Stings, as in 
nettles (urtlca), are the pipes of a fmall bag 
furniflied with a venomous fluid; when the 
jfting, or point, has made the wound in the 
finger, which has touched the plant, this fluid 
paifes into it, and caufes acute pain. There 
are many curious contrivances for the defence 
of plants, which may be confidered as arms. 
On the leaves of Venus's flytrap (dioncea muf- 
cipula) there is a wonderful contrivance to 
prevent the depredations of infects ; the leaves 
are armed with long teeth, and lie fpread upon 
the ground round the flower-ftem, and are lb 
irritable, that, when an infecT: creeps upon them, 
they fold up, and pierce or crufh it to death. 
We have a plant of our own country, which, in 
it's curious mechanifm, greatly refembles the 
fo mupji celebrated flytrap ; this is the fun- 
dew (drofera*): it's round flat leaves are thickly 
befet with hairs, both on their upper furface 
and on the margin; each of thefe hairs is 
crowned w 7 ith a little purple globule, which 
in the funfliine exudes a pellucid drop of 
mucilage, and gives the whole plant a beau- 
* See Plate the Third, 
tiful 
