The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-10

vegetables had not; vet the sponge and
corals of the ocean are composed of in
Vulnerable animals which cannot change
their places any more than cabbages
can.
There are animals that have not mus
cles, or nerves, or mouths, or stomachs.
yet they move, they eat and they digest.
There are in ponds plants so small that
a teaspoon would hold thousands OF
them, which move almost with the ra-
pidity of lightning. Our microscopes are
not powerful enough to show us their
organs of locomotion, but they undoubt
eddy have them.
Animals feel. So do plants; and it
may be that their sensibility is owing
to their having a nervous system. Look
at the mimosa pudica, or sensitive plant
Touch its leaves and they will immedi.
ately close; at night they close of theil
own accord. The poet says.
Weak with nice sense the chaste mimoss
| stands II
From, each rude touch withdraws her tender
Oft, as light clouds o'erpass the summer glade
Alarmed, she trembles at the morning shade
And feels alive through all her tender form
Inc whispered murmurs of the gathering
Shuts her sweet eye-lids to approaching night
AND nails with freshened charms the rising
| light"
Animals sleep. So do plants. Many
plants sleep at night, and there are some
OF nocturnal habits, like the owl of the
animal Kingdom. The plant commonly
known as the evening primrose puts
forth its yellow flowers at nightfall
!" tuft of evening primroses:
/ 10 Vur,d HxN. n
| Ger which it we'll might take a pleasant Sleep
But is ever startled by the leap
| Of buds into ripe flowers" "t"nH
Animals eat and drink. Plants eat
and drink, too, and some are exceed
ingly fond of animal food. The "sun-
dew" little plant that grows in low,
marshy land, has small round leaves
with hairy fringe. At the end of each
hair is drop, apparently of water, but
really of extremely sticky secretion.
An insect comes along and alights on
the leaf. If but one of his toes touches
the shining drop his doom is sealed.
He becomes the sundew's dinner.
In marshy places in North Carolina
grows the Venus fy-trap. Every leaf
has row of spikes so arranged that
when the lobeS of the leaf are closed
the spikes interlock, so that nothing
can pass them. If fly alights on the
leaf he gets pressing invitation to din
ner, which he is always compelled to ac-
cept. The strangest thing about the
plant is that its leaves will not close up
on piece of wood, or button, or any
thing else that is not food.
The Dephenthes, or pitcher-plants, of
India, also catch and digest insects.
The leaves are shaped like pitchers.
The rim of each pitchers smeared with
something which looks and tastes like
honey, and which continues some dis
lance into the pitcher. Then the sur
face becomes as smooth as the smooth
est glass. The insect slides down this
inclined plane to the bottom of the
pitcher and plunges into an acid which
kills it. These pitchers are in reality
stomachs, and they digest fly or bit
OF beef or mutton exactly as human
stomach digests its food.
There grows in stagnant water
plant having minute translucent blad-
ders attached to it's leaves. Each of
these bladders is full of water and has
little trap-door which can be opened
only from the outside. If the larvae,
which are so abundant in stagnant
water, touch the trap-doOr, it opens
Hospitality and lets them in. AS soon
as they get in it shuts with bang.
They are prisoners for life. Fortunate
ly, life in that cell does not last long.
1t is said that animals have instinct,
at least, if not reason, and vegetables
have not. DO not be too sure of that.
Mr.. Darwin saw the tendril of climb
ing plant voluntarily withdraw from
hole in wall after it had chosen it
and remained fixed in it for thrty-six
hours; and it is fact that the tentacles
and leaf OF the sundew will move a lit
tie distance upward after fly-and
catch him, too!
Perhaps some wise person will ask il
animals can be propagated by slips, as
plants can, and smile while he asks.
Certainly; that's the easiest thing in
the world. The common hydra, abound
ing in ponds, can be cut into twenty
pieces and each piece will become
perfect hydra. If the body be cut in
two, lengthwise, the parts will grow to-
gether again, and, if the two parts be
kept separate, each will become a hydra.
The same is true of jelly-fshes.
Prof. Huxley says: "The difference
between an animal and plant is one OF
degree rather than of kind, and the
problem whether, in given case, an
organism is an animal or a plant may
be essentially insoluble."
So, to be on the safe side, 1 shall call
such things as the sundew, Venus fly
trap, and SO forth, vegetable animals.
Robert Arnotd, IN Christian Union.
Hov Rats Steal HOuay