74 
PITCHER PLANT. 
base of the leaf, at the root, is narrow and pipe-stem like, expand¬ 
ing into a large hollow receptacle, capable of containing a wine-glass 
foil of liquid; even in dry seasons this cup is rarely found empty. 
The hollow form of the leaves, and the broad ewer-like lips, have 
obtained for the plant its local and wide spread-name of “Pitcher 
Plant,” and “Soldier’s Drinking Cup.” The last name I had from a 
poor old emigrant pensioner, when he brought me a specimen of the 
plant from the banks of a halt dried up lake, near which he was 
located: “Many a draft of blessed water have we poor soldiers had 
when in Egypt out of the leaves of a plant like this, and we used 
to call them the ‘Soldier’s Drinking Cup.’” 
Most probably the plant that afforded the blessed water to the 
poor thristy soldiers was the Nepenthe disUUarid , which plant is found 
in Egypt and other parts of Africa. Perhaps there are but few 
among the inhabitants of this well-watered country that have as 
fully appreciated the value of the Pitcher Plant as did our poor 
uneducated Irish pensioner, who said that he always thought that 
God in His goodness had created the plant to give drink to such as 
were athirst on a hot and toilsome march; and so he looked with 
gratitude and admiration on its representative in Canada. Many a 
lesson may we learn from the lips of the poor and the lowly. 
Along the inner portion of the leaf there is a wing or flap 
which adds to its curious appearance: from this section of the leaf has 
arisen the somewhat inappropriate name of “ Side-Saddle Flower .” 
The evident use of this appendage is to contract the inner side of 
the leaf, and to produce a corresponding rounding of the outer por¬ 
tion, which is thus thrown back, and enables the moisture more readily 
to fill the cup. Quantities of small flies, beetles, and other insects, 
