The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-10-27
THE F'LOBIDA PITCHER Plant.
Mrs. Mary Treat.

dropping petals, is very conspicuous every
where on the ls ,a daHqt 81 the rho most femarka.
bic of all our insectivorous plants, and
destroys by far larger number Of Insects
than any carnivorous plant with which
am acquainted The leaves are from
six to twelve inches in lenght, hollow
and trumpet shaped; they stand very
erect, and the opening is covered by a
rounded arching hood Just below the
hood the leaf is spotted with pure
white, and these spots are surrounded by
bright scarlet veins. The inner surface
of the hood is lined with brilliant colors;
finely reticulated veins of scarlet Iun
over a vellowish ground. A broad wing
extends along one side Of the leaf from
the base Of the opening at the summit; /;
the wing is bound or edged by Purplish
cord, which also extends around the
opening. This cord or edge of the wing
il one ofthe most wonderful features Of
the plant.
From observations taken on the ground
where the plants grew, found innumer-
able insects were attacted to them. The
Haunting yellow flower may lure many
moths and butterflies TO the plant, but
the flower Is not the attraction after they
reach it. This cord that runs along the
edge of the wing secretes a sweet fluid,
and IS the wing reaches to the base OF
the leaf, insects that crawl on the ground
as we'll as those that fly are attracted to
this sweet secretion. ] noticed on some
of the plants a line Of small ants extend
ing from the base Of the leaf to the sum
nit. feeding on the secretion; 50 numer-
Gus were they that they crowded each
other, but all steadily advancing to the
opening, down which they disappeared.
All persons who have observed ants
feeding have probably noticed the regu-
lar order in which they move to and fro
from their food. The aphides (plant-lice)
produce a sweet secretion of which the
ants are very fond. Linnaus, with his
fertile imagination, called the aphides
the ants COWS. The ants a'e very friendly
toward aphides, for they supply them
with abundant food, on which they
thrive. Now if we observe the apts
we can afso see that they form two regu-
lar lines, the hungry ones moving up
the stem to take their food, and the
satisfied ones returning down the stem;
and very friendly and fraternal they
seem, never getting in each others way,
but often greeting one another as they
meet, butting their antenn;e together as
if communicating something, and then
they pass on, each his own way. Mark
the difference when the ants are found
feeding on the sweet secretion of sar-
racenia variolaris; now they crowd and
iostle one another, and seem wild in their
movements. and are all advancing in one
line toward the summit Of the leaf, on
reaching which they disappear down the
wide throat of the Unsuitable sarracenia.
No return line here.
This [ observed on the pine-barrens
where the plants grew. l now took
large supply of leaves to my study, and
placed them in an upright position in
vases of water to keep them fresh, and
opened the windows to admit the various
insects that are swarming in the air at
this season. Soon the room was well
supplied with the common horse-fy. l
now returned the screens to the window,
and sat down to watch results. a num-
per of flies were soon attracted to the
plants, and almost as soon as they tasted
the secretion they acted strangely. 1t
was astonishing to see how quickly it
effected them. They became stupid, and
didnot notice my hand in close proximity,
and they paid ne attention to gentle ef-
forts to shake them from the leaf If |
touched one, it would fly a short dis
tance, but it invariably returned to the
leaf and very soon was buzzing inside OF
the tube, trying to walk up the dry,
smooth'surface. and every time falling back
until it was exhausted and still. 1t was
no use to liberate them. | repeatedly
took leaf and turned the opening down
ward, and gently knocked it nntil
liberated half dozen or more; but they
were soon on the leaves again, evidently
irving to straighten themselves. They
would pass their legs over their wings
but they were unsteady on their feet ano
seemed to be intoxicated. Every fly
that l liberated eventually returned tC
the open mouth, and walked in, as if fas
cinated by some spell.
In about two hours the room wa
cleared of flies-all lured into the fata
trap. l reopened the windows to admi
more, and among the flies came two o
three yellowjackets-wasp-like insects
These yellowjackets are very fond of any
thing sweet, and very soon one found tn
tempting bait 1t alighted upon lea
and commenced feeding about two-thIrd
of the way from the base. 1t seemed t
relish the food highly, and ate eagerl
and quietly for few moments; but 500
its wings began to futter, and it pre-
ceeded hurriedly and wildly along tn
line of sweet until it reached the opeI
ing. Here it ceased moment TO fee
along the cord that surrounds the mout
of the tube, but its wings were still raise
and futtering. In a little more than
minute from the time it alighted it VIZ
a safe prisoner within, buzzing and flu
tering and stirring up the imprisone
flies. On holding the leaf up to the ligf
1 could see its frantic efforts to escape
trying to climb the smooth surface, bu
like the flies, ever falling back, until
was powerless to move.
Probably one of the most tryiI
times in a mans life is when he intr
) duces his second wife, seventeen yea
: old, to his eldest daughter, who is pa
twenty.