July.] FLOWER-GARDEN. 449 
It is a hardy perennial, indigenous in various parts of the United 
States, grows in a wild uncultivated state in the neighbourhood of 
Philadelphia, and usually to the height of from two and a half to 
three feet; flowering from the beginning of July to September; it 
has a creeping root, whereby it increases greatly in light dry soils, 
and warm situations, so as even to be troublesome; it will not thrive 
in wet soil. It is propagated by sowing the seeds in spring, which 
with us, it produces abundantly, or by parting its roots in March or 
October. 
The flowers of this plant have a sweet honey-like fragrance which 
perfumes the air; and no doubt operates powerfully in attracting 
insects; when a plant of this sort is fully blown, one may always 
find flies caught in its blossoms, usually by the trunk, very rarely 
by the leg, sometimes four or even five, which is the greatest pos- 
sible number, are found in one flower, some dead, others endeavour- 
ing to distenangle themselves, in which they are now and then so 
fortunate as to succeed. 
Previous to explaining the manner in which it appears that these 
flies are caught, it will be necessary to describe those parts of the 
flower which more particularly constitutes this fatal fly-trap. 
On looking into the flower there are perceivable five Stamina, the 
Antherae of which are large, of a yellow colour, and converge into a 
kind of cone; each of these Antherae is arrow-shaped; towards the 
top of the cone their sides touch but do not adhere, below they se- 
parate a little, so as to leave a very narrow opening or slit between 
each; they are placed on very short filaments, which stand so far 
apart that a considerable opening is left between them; at the bot- 
tom of, and in the very centre of the flower, there are perceivable 
two germina, or seed-buds, the rudiments of future seed-vessels, 
surrounded by glandular substances, secreting a sweet liquid; on 
the summit of these germina, and betwixt the two, stands the stig- 
ma, in the form of a little urn, the middle of which is encircled by 
a glandular ring, which secrets a viscid honey-like substance; to 
this part of the stigma the Antherae interiorly adhere most tenaci- 
ously, so as to prevent their separation unless considerable force be 
applied: it is probable, that the sweet viscid substance, thus secret- 
ed by the stigma, within the Antherse, is that which the fly endea- 
vours to obtain; and to this end insinuates its trunk, first into the 
lowermost and widest part of the slit, betwixt two of the Antherae 
above described, pushing it of necessity upwards: when gratified, 
not having the sense to place itself in the same position as that in 
which it stood when it inserted its trunk, and draw it out in the 
same direction downwards, unfortunately for it, it varies its posi- 
tion, and pulling its trunk upwards, draws it into the narrow part 
of the slit, where it becomes closely wedged in, and the more it 
pulls the more securely is it caught, and thus this heedless insect, 
as Thomson calls it, terminates its existence in captivity most 
miserable. 
Mr. R. W. DAnwiN, of Elston, in England, asserts that, " when 
a fly inserts its proboscis between these anthers to plunder the ho- 
ney, they converge closer, and with such violence as to detain the 
3L 
