, 1874-11-14
SPARKS or SCIENCE.


lilo Dfon9a Musoipula (yonus' Flytrap). Th'a Ia
tho most interesting Of tho several Bpoo'os OF tho
vegetable kingdom that Nro In tn hhbtt Of de-
riving part Of thoir auatonanco from tho Juices
OF insoots Au important point In tho history Of
this plant remained unaottEod at tho conclusion
Of Mr.. Darwin's experiments. It was NTH regard
to tito power OF single leaf to catch and dlgost
mora than one insoct. The question las boon
definitely answered by Mra. Mary Treat, Of
Vinoland. N. j., a oarofal md trustworthy OBJ
server. Bhe las communicated the history OF
hcr experiments to tho'Now York Tribune. from
Which we conlonso the following
III May laat Mrs. Troat received thirty nno [
specimens Of the Donaa from Wilmington, N.
C.,-ille only known locality whore tho rlAntB
aga found. she Immediately placed them In sop
arato pots, nnmborlng each, mud regularly thore'
perimonts with tholn. We hayo alroady described |
tho Dsonwa. but will repeat tint 1t erows to tile
height Of from to inches, With leaves spring. |
ing directly from tho root Each Leaf IL crowned
Btcoi trap. aud with the Ha1ne Kind Of action. At
tho touch OF up Insect On IT. anner nurfacc. 1t !
c!oscs with quiclt spring, nnIi almost invariably
HlutB upon victim. Whcu + opons, .nothin.
Remains Of the prlsouer but title buul'o Of dry
homes. 1t bus been killed. maceratca, md con-
suIncd.
Mrs. Treat reports from her obacrvations that
nnmoor Nl ,eSs1s aa o ton 11sG
not strcngth 10 digoht the last ono. Fyo OF
tl1on ope,icd III an apparoutlT healthy STATE uftcr
agosting tI,o third n.y. Int DIED soon after clos
ssesed aedn ~ nsr es I but ea andseusoy s
npon tiios, bces,es. bugs, spideEs aud mil!epeds.
Prisoners which Mrs. Trest libaratcd after Two
! or thrac hours incarceration nrroased utlu-
} 5utod, nnd, atter moment Of dumb aurprse,
ied with Tie utmost alacritY. LnseotA lott u Tho
trap twenty.four hours although often a alive at
| tue end Of that time, noyor recovered. Enough
! cleansed carefully BY Mrs. Treat. ef the slsnY
staco. tru Whon liz daddy -long-leys dropped ,nto
tie trap their protractcd limbs. which could
uot be- entirely tahcn In. would show signa Of
lilo for twouty-four Or thirty.ai< lotrs.
] Tho loayeH required, on tho average, soTen
| daYs to digest aoft-bodlcl iuscols. and 1ougor
| tin,o to digeat beetles mud othor ercaturos In
/ coa.e OF amor. MEY 8, two }oayes closed upon
I,orse-fies; HAY II, thoy finished their feast and
tupeioa topel homopterous @ eo IN nsoo atsapoaea, a-
salus), about tho sizo Of q s1uasl-Dug; Juno 8,
Tho Loaf oponad ngain, ind nothing rms lott or
tho lug hut ts slull. It will bo saen thai four
scot. The shelly covering of tho beetles resista
tho action Of tho tluu Shich tho asa7os pour out
fn order to dissolve tnein.
The traps pretty nearly had their match in tle
rose-bug (lfac,placvlus substinoas). Which
would aomot,nes force itH way out botwcen their
ciasping teeth or Bpluas. Taen, again, ls would
crouch ulose Oh TIM bottom Of tue trap in order
to hide. according to it's habit. and you'll TO in
prisoned eGec:ualy. Nine OF tAcso poor beetles
Mis-. Troas hell ped tho loAvos to ontonb. but
only single Leaf was strong enough to digest itB
victim; tic other eight died III the effort. The
strongest plant in thu collection caught forty in
| scots bntweon May and October. md dgoatod
mont ot thon, The aano aot Of leaves, however,
did not do all this wos;. they wore constantly
dyiug aud bong renewed. at ono time there
woro thlrtocn strong laayes on tito plant; and
Oct. "a, at tho time Of wfi,ing, there Sere
| hra1 nf SYhicn nloHfi HIeH,
| None of tue plunts were allowed to flower. NJ III
this effort tholr vigor wonlI taso dinlinished.,,
Mrs. Treat Rat down ono day aud inserted tho
tip Of l,or littio finger in one Of tho traps, IncAn
inE to hold 1t there foe lyo hours at loast, and
record ohaervatious. 1u feaa than hftonn nlii-
utcs tho pressure was conaIdorable, and for moro
thau an huur it continued to Increase. In loss
t,am two hours sho wna obliged 10 give up tho
arm, although her position was perfeotably coal
fortable. On removing her fnger. aho dtscov-
otod tl,at tue Shiny secretion bad begun to isAue
from tha trap. Although this fluid Was found
coplously onveloping an insect attor two or tlrco
days imprisonment, when the traP8 opened ut
tho closo Of their meal thoro was never any pros
ent, it having beeu, no doubt. absorbed into the
| circulation.
The largest and oldest trees In the world hre
tho Eaobabs Of Africa md Australin, There art
two spscies,-the Adansonia gregorie, which Ii
peculiar to Australie, and the Adansonia di9itata
which abounds in West and South Africa The
trecH do not rise to an excessive height, but at
tain m enormous circumference. Several have
1,.or r,ooarrcl which md n rir,f of from ~ Ia
peen in'Asu.oa s."t t.s, a .,.a 49, ,,;s
u teos. a 1ow 1oe' ilom eno etounu, .Do aal,
ttunk ei7ea on immonso BRANCHES, Wh!eh o1tono
3 ! horizontally from 10 to 100 feet. The ontiro
Y trea haa the apDesraaco of q perfect hemisphere
Naoms.;roea heno I'M fcot in hclcht nna 15D IN
ss'1a"oe oous ~ ,bos" traos cro,vn.
~ aai,,s. uivea rana" to te caun de-
!. 1nE ~ a'Jo'"u11 a'do omMc:rsnn csrn o"FS ~
'eo GIo nanai, {,ocs not "tten its full growth
,,,tii !. "a an xaars t31 Ainupon tha hl,anst
unL 70 oov ~ aoa.o o,.,S ~" ,oa nan,ed hu 1,nma
nor "no 49,. w. s'pes w t,,a sroa h ~, ,nsorItn
wIc ~ pcnyared i%s IN lie bark Of ono on The
rsua r IN yorin isianla. Tie i,,acrintion vas cut
~ oon.,,., ..d a1 is"ara ~ weo
Ia ine anu ~ to t;nno"s ~ NJ
uau ,D;, that ~ ,roea ynae ara Saa i1uopn
tesu s.;,,ad ~ ~, s,nraxotn tnn,y"Jo ~ t,s
ao ar!'vHu a. ~ apnona ~" has fom, ~
a5' s1 I1nabnJt r.. ~ ,matar ~ a,ont m ynct
sass ~ oara coore;r ~ ,;s ~ t,,e": 1uu.
y