426 
JOURNAL OF H0R1IOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ May 29,1884. 
glabra and nigrescens (killed) ; Hakeas prostrata and suaveolens 
(severely damaged) ; Habrothamnus elegans and fasciculatus ; Lepto- 
spermum bracteatum (killed or nearly so) ; Olearias dentata, Haastii, and 
stellata ; Polygalas Dalmaisiana, intermedia, and oppositifolia ; Primulas 
verticillata (killed), japonica, and Palinuri ; Phormiums atropurpureum, 
tenax, and tenax Yeitchii ; Pittospermum eugenioides, Rocheas falcata 
and perfoliata (killed) ; Sparmannia africana and Plumbago capensis 
(killed) ; Sedums arboreum (nearly killed), albicans and aureum ; and 
Seaforthia elegans (much damaged). This list is far from exhaustive, 
but it will serve to show how exceedingly rich the gardens of Cornwall 
collectively are in tropical, semi-tropical, and other exotic plants. I have 
good reason to believe that a great number of plants usually supposed to 
be lost to cultivation would be detected by a competent botanist at 
Tresco, Scilly.— William Roberts. 
A CARNIVOROUS PLANT. 
An interesting discovery has been made during the last week by Mr. 
G-. E. Simms, son of a well-known tradesman of Oxford. It is that the 
bladder-traps of Utricularia vulgaris are capable of catching newly hatched 
fish and killing them. Mr. Simms brought to me for examination a speci¬ 
men of Utricularia in a glass vessel, in which were numerous young roach 
newly hatched from a mass of spawn lying at the bottom. Numbers of 
these young fish were seen dead, held fast in the jaws of the bladder traps of 
the plant. I had never seen Utricularia before, and am indebted to my 
colleague Prof. Burdon Sanderson for the identification of the plant and a 
reference to Cohn’s researches on it. Mr. Simms supplied me with a fresh 
specimen of Utricularia in a vessel with fresh young fish and spawn, and in 
about six hours more than a dozen of the fish were found entrapped. Most 
are caught by the head, and when this is the case the head is usually pushed 
as far into the bladder as possible till the snout touches its hinder wall. The 
two dark black eyes of the fish then show out conspicuously through the 
wall of the bladder. Rarely a specimen is seen caught only by the tip of the 
snout. By no means a few of the fish are, however, captured by the tail, 
which is swallowed, so to speak, to a greater or less distance, and 1 have one 
specimen in which the fish is caught by the yelk sac. Three or four instances 
were observed in which a fish had its head swallowed by one bladder-trap, 
and its tail by another adjacent one, the body of the fish forming a connecting 
bar between the two bladders. 
I have not been able to see a fish in the actual process of being trapped, 
nor to find one recently caught, and showing by motion of the fore part of its 
body signs of life. All those trapped were found already dead, but I have 
had no opportunity of prolonged observation;and it will be remembered that 
Mr. Darwin, in his account of the trapping of Crustacea, worms, &c., by 
Utricularia, states that he was not able to observe the actual occurrence of 
the trapping of an animal, although Mrs. Treat of New Jersey often did so. 
I think it probable that the fact described by Mr. Darwin, and which is easily 
verified, that the longer of the two pairs of projections composing the 
quadrifid processes by which the bladders of Utricularia are lined “project 
obliquely inwards and towards the posterior end of the bladder,” has some¬ 
thing to do with mechanism by which the small fish become so deeply 
swallowed, so to speak. The oblique processes, set all towards the hinder 
end of the bladder, look as if they must act together with the spring valves 
of the mouth of the bladder in utilising each fresh struggle of the captive 
for the purpose of pushing it further and further inwards. On cutting open 
longitudinally some of the bladders containing the heads and fore parts of the 
bodies of fish, and examining their contents, I found the tissues of the fish 
in a more or less slimy deliquescent condition, no doubt from decomposition, 
for Mr. Darwin failed to detect any digestive process in Utricularia. The 
quadrifid processes were bathed in the slimy semi-fluid animal substance, and 
the processes themselves appeared to contain abundance of fine granular 
ma-tter, possibly the result of absorption, but the large quantity of surrounding 
animal matter present rendered the observation uncertain. The usual swarms 
of Infusoria were present in the decomposing matter. 
Specimens of the Utricularia with the little fish fast in the bladder-trap, 
and their heads or tails hanging out, can be well preserved in spirits, and 
show the conditions well, notwithstanding that the plant becomes colourless, 
and there is no longer the marked contrast between the glistening white dead 
fish and the green bladders, which in the fresh condition renders the combi¬ 
nation of the trap and prey conspicuous. 
Mr. Simms, by whose permission I write this, intends shortly to publish 
an account of his observations himself. I have advised him to endeavour to 
prepare spirit specimens of Utricularia plants with numerous trapped fish 
in situ for sale to those interested in the matter who may care to apply for 
them. His add ess is 37, Broad Street, Oxford.—H. N. Moseley (in Nature). 
IRIS SUSIANA. 
Though less brightly coloured than many members of the Iris family, 
the “ Great Turkie Flower de Luce,” as this plant was termed by the 
old writers, is one of the most peculiar and striking of all our garden 
flowers. When in a suitable situation, rather warm, sheltered, and free 
from stagnant moisture, the plant grows strongly, reaching a height of 
2J feet, and flowers freely in the early summer months, producing a 
strange eflect in the border. The flowers are of great size, resembling 
I. iberica in form, the ground colour being of a dull grey, upon which are a 
number of purple markings, which singular contrast has obtained for it 
the name of the “ Mourning Iris.” It was well known to Parkinson, who 
thus describes the plant—“It hath divers heads of long and broad fresh 
greene leaves folded within one another at the boltome, as all other of the 
Flower de luces are. From the middle of some one of these heads risetli 
up a round stifle stalke two foote high, at the top whereof standeth one 
flower, the largest almost but the rarest of all the rest, consisting of nine 
leaves, but of the colour of a snake’s skinne it is so diversely spotted.” 
It was introduced to this country towards the close of the sixteenth cen¬ 
tury from Persia, the specific name being derived from a city in that 
country. Some of the old writers state that if the standards of this 
species are placed in water they produce a fine violet colour; and one 
adds—“ But if a little Allome be put therin, and then wrung and pressed, 
and the juice of these leaves dried in the shadow, will give a colour almost 
as deep as indico, and may serve for shadowes in limming excellent well.” 
CRYSTAL PAIACE SHOW. 
May 23rd and 24th. 
An innovation was made at the Crystal Palace last week in arranging 
the plants. On all former occasions they have been grouped in the transept, 
and consequently dwaifed in comparison with the magnitude of the building. 
Under such circumstances it was impossible to display them to advantage, 
and also the heat and glare is in bright weather so exhausting to the flowers 
that many of them have often lost their freshness almost before the judging 
was completed. The Show to be noticed, which was unanimously con¬ 
sidered the finest that has ever been seen at the Palace, was held in a series 
of marquees at the extreme end of and outside the building next the 
aquarium, and so satisfactory was the result that the Directors of the Palace 
and Mr. Head, the Garden Superintendent, merit hearty congratulations- 
If it should be possible in the future to find space that can be covered by 
one monster marquee, and arrange the plants in it in gardenesque style, the 
attraction would be irresistible, and inhabitants of the metropolis would 
come in their thousands to enjoy so rich a floral feast. The arrangement 
of the large tent on the present occasion was so excellent, and the effect 
so imposing, that it is clear that not only will liberal prizes bring out 
splendid plants, but that there is no lack of taste to dispose them effectively 
if adequate means can be providtd. We shall hope, too, an extension of 
accommodation on the lines indicated, and to have the pleasure of inspecting 
a magnificent exhibition at the Palace similar in character to the world- 
famed spectacles that are periodically arranged in Ghent and Brussels. 
The Exhibition of last Friday and Saturday was undoubtedly marred by the 
sectional method of arrangement, and by the obtrusive stages in some of 
the tents. These want practically sweeping away, tabling only being 
required to a limited extent for certain small plants, w’hile the too long 
endured custom of elevating large ones ought to have received its death 
blow by the admirable result of grouping the elephantine specimens in 
depressions in the lawn, where the pots were practically invisible, and the 
plants were seen to such great advantage. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants,— Prominent in the first spacious 
marquee were the magnificent stove and greenhouse plants entered in the 
competition for nine specimens. Mr. Chapman, gardener to J. Spode, Esq., 
Hawkesyard Park, Rugeley, was the champion with a selection from the 
specimens of those which two days previously had gained him the premier 
position in a similar class at Regent’s Park. Especially notable was the 
Yeitch Memorial prize plant of Hedaroma tulipifera, which was greatly 
admired, and is indeed a marvellous example of good culture and careful 
training. All the plants were large, most of them 5 to 6 feet high and as 
much in diameter, and splendidly flowered, particularly Tremandra ericrefolia. 
Erica Cavendishiana, Erica affinis, Ixora coccinea, Anthurium Schertzerianum, 
Ixora Dixiana, and Statice profusa, the Statice and Tremandra being in 
most praiseworthy condition, and loaded with flowers. Mr. H. James, Castle 
Nursery, Lower Norwood, followed very closely with smaller, but remarkably 
fresh healthy specimens, including Erica depressa, very handsome E. Caven¬ 
dishiana. Azalea Model, Anthurium Schertzerianum, and Genetyllis nookeri. 
Mr. E.’Tudgey, Waltham Cross, took the third position, his best specimens 
being Erica Cavendishiana, 7 feet in diamettr ; Pimelea decussata, and Erica 
coccinea, 5 feet in diameter, and beautifully flowered. Amongst the amateurs 
Mr. Chapman was again first with six specimens equally as beautiful as the. 
others, though on a smaller scale. Acropbyllum venosum was admirably 
flowered ; Aphelexis macrantha purpurea, very healthy and evenly trained ; 
Ixora regina, Erica Cavendishiana, Anthurium Schertzerianum, and Tre¬ 
mandra erictefolia were also praiseworthy. Mr. Rann, gardener to J. Warren, 
Esq., Handcross Park, Crawley, was a close second with well-grown plants. 
Erica depressa being one of the best in the collection. For a single specimen 
stove plant in flower Mr. Wakeham, gardener to H. Barrett, Esq., North 
Dulwich, was awarded the chief prize, his specimen being a beautiful example 
of Clerodendron Balfourianum. 5 feet high and 4 feet across, of globular 
form, well furnished with flowers. An extra first prize was also accorded to 
Mr. James for a vigorous plant of Anthurium Andreanum, bearing nine large 
brightly coloured spathes. Mr. Tudgey, who was second, showed a very 
good Clerodendron Balfourianum but slightly inferior to Mr. Wakeham’s 
specimen. In the corresponding class for one specimen greenhouse plant 
Mr. Rann secured first honours with Hedaroma tulipifera, 4 feet high and 
the same in diameter, most symmetrical, and in perfect health. Mr. Tudgey 
was a good second with Erica ventricosa magnifioa, nearly as large as the 
preceding, and flowering profusely. Mr. Chapman was placed third with. 
Erica profusa, neat and free. 
Azaleas. —These contributed greatly to the beauty of the Show, as, 
though they were not remarkably abundant, the specimens were with one 
exception grandly flowered. The chief class was that for nine specimens, in 
which Mr. C. Turner, Slough, secured premier honours with beautiful plants- 
of moderate size, 4 to 5 feet high, pyramidal in form but not too rigidly 
trained, and with the richly coloured flowers was to be seen a little fresh 
green foliage that rendered the plants much more pleasing to many visitors 
than the masses of flowers which by some are regarded as the beau ideal of 
Azalea culture. The best of the varieties were Due de Nassau, Ferdinand 
Kegeljan, Madame Cannart d’Hamale, Reine des Fleurs, Chelsoni, Corotesse- 
de Flandres, and Stella. Mr. Child, gardener to W. J. Bell, Esq., Garbrand 
Hall, Ewell, was a good second, some of his specimens being much larger 
than the preceding and superbly flowered, but the collection generally was 
