THE BUTTERWORT 227 
belongs to the Natural Order Lentibulariaces. Per- 
haps the statement made by the botanist Lindley 
helps to explain the origin of its common name. 
Lindley wrote : “‘ The common Butterwort has the 
property of giving consistence to milk, and of pre- 
venting its separating into either whey or cream. 
Linnzus says that the solid milk of the Laplanders 
is prepared by pouring it worm from the cow, over 
a strainer on which fresh leaves of Pinguicula have 
been laid. The milk, after passing among them, 
is left for a day or two to stand, until it begins to 
turn sour ; it throws up no cream, but becomes com- 
_ pact and tenacious, and most delicious in taste. It 
is not necessary that fresh leaves should be used 
after the milk is once turned ; on the contrary, a 
small portion of this solid milk will act upon that 
which is fresh in the manner of yeast.” We must 
try an experiment on these lines one of these days. 
The Butterwort, however, is an interesting plant 
in another respect. It is insectivorous—that is, it 
can capture and practically eat small insects that 
settle on its leaves. Such insects alight on the leaves 
of the plant in order to find something they delight in, 
only to discover that they have landed into a death- 
trap. When I say the Butterwort eats small insects, 
I do not mean that the plant chews them as with 
teeth. Ifyou examine the leaves of a living specimen 
you will see a number of glands on the upper sur- 
faces ; these glands secrete a gummy, colourless 
fluid, which can be drawn out in threads after the 
manner of many sticky substances. Small insects 
settling on the leaves are caught in this fluid ; their 
presence causes the plant to increase its secretion, 
