The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-08-06
A CarniyoriOus Plant.

The pretty little plant called droSera,
or sundew, says the Providence Journal
develops some strange animal instincts.
1t is a charming plant, with its lovely
pink blossoms, while the dew like sub
stance issuing from its glands gives it a
most cool and refreshing appearance on
a warm-summer's day. But though it
looks tie very picture of innocence and
gentleness, it has a strange taste for
seizing killing and sucking the blood of
insects, and for grasping and eating raw
beef. A lady In the American Natural
list gives some very curious observations
upon this remarkable plant. She found
the specimens upon which she expert
mented IN New Jersey. The plant was
in full bloom, and growing very thickly
on either side of an extensive cranberry
plantation. The first experiment was
made with the best-known species, the
drOSerG IiLitorn1iS. Some living files
were pinned half an inch from the apex,
about ten o'clock in the morning. In
forty minutes the leaves had bent per-
ceptibly toward the flies, In two hours
the leaves had reached the flies, and
their leaves were entangled among the
bristles and held fast. The flies were
then removed three quarters of an inch
further from the leaves. The leaves still
remained bent toward the flies, but
could not reach them at this distance.
The observer thinks that the flies wings
may have created sufficient force to
bring the leaves near enough to entan-
| gle the flies, for dead flies failed to pro-
! duce the same result as living ones. On
| the same day, bits of raw beef were
! placed on some of the most vigorous
| leaves of another species of the plant,
/ the drOserG EoglgifoLia. In two hours,
| two of the leaves had folded around the
beef, hiding it from sight. Living flies
were also placed upon the same species
OF the plant. In little more than an
hour, one of the leaves had folded en-
tirely around its victim, the other
leaves had practically folded and the
flies had ceased to struggle. Two hours
later, four leaves had each folded
around fly. The drosera manifests q
very decided choice in regard to its gus
tatOry fancies. Experiments were made
with bits of dried chalk, magnesia and
pebbles, but the plant would have
nothing to do with them, and after
twenty-four hours, neither leaves non
brietles had made the slightest move
ment toward elasping these articles. A
similar result was produced upon the
ClroseTE rOtttndi fOLid. This variety has
I AOABCA DIthGAIb aLOuAa GLlO GOEC u tit
leaf, and simply curls its bristles around
its victims, the gland on the ends oil
ends of the blistles touching the sub
stance, like 50 many mouths receiving
nourishment. Some bits of raw beel
were placed upon the leaves about ter
o'clock in the morning. In two hours
the inner bristles we're curving about it.
and the longer bris ties at the edge o.
the leaf were curving upward. At nine
o'clock in the evening the bristles Of
the three most vigorous leaves were
clasping the beef, almost concealing il
from sight. Nor is this ferocious plant
contented with small insects. Flies o.
the largest size, moths without number
and butterflies, many of them measur
ing two inches across, were held captive
till they died, the treacherous flowers
and shining dew Turing them to des
truetion. The larger insects, aftel
death, fell around the roots of tn,
plants as if to fertilize them, while thu
smaller flies remained adhering to tn,
leaves. These curious plants thus seen
to manifest a decided preference fol
meat diet, absorbing the animal sub
stances through their leaves. Mr.. Oar
win says that by pricking point in thu
leaf of drosera, he can paralyze half o.
it, and this indicates the existence o.
| nerves.