Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-03-23
Plants that Eat Animals.

Plants that Eat Animals
We have all heard of animals that
eat plants, but only recently have we
learned of plants that live on animals.
Bat recently, mean within the last
twenty years. That these queer plants
do really devour very small insects is
now an established fact of natural his
tory.
In 1850, Mr.. Darwin, a man who
studies these wond erful things, and then
very kindly publishes books about what
he has learned, so that other people
may also study them, began 10 notice
some curious things about these siugu-
lar plants, and then turned his atten-
ton to study of them. He spent
great many hours watching the plants
and their behavior. Day after day he
would continue, till finally he haa the
pleasure of knowing so much about
the subject that he put it in a book.
Many other naturalists have been
studying these curious plants both be-
fore and since the publication of Mr..
Darwin's book. In New Jersey, North
Carolina, and other states. as well rs in
England, these plants are to be found
There als several varieties Of them, but
| have room in this article to give you
an account of them in only general
manner, and very briefly at that.
The leaves of these plants farm a
kind OF mouth, and this mouth the
plant can open when they choose. The
leaves are the lips, and inside the
mouth is sort of a throat. This
throat extends downward toward the
body of the plant, and has inside it a
great many little bits of very short
beard, which are close together and
very fuzzy In some throats are at
least two hundred Of these little hairy
bits. At the end of each of these is a
sticky substance somewhat like com
mon mucilage.
Now, when the plant opens his mouth
you see the trap is already set. All he
has to dc is to keep his mouth open.
By an accident a fly aligh's on the
plant-or a bug, or some other small
insect--and the moment it does SO
sticks fast to the gummy substance the
plant is all the time making, and is
caught. Fly off he cannot, and the
more he tries to move the more he
fastens himself to the sticky substance.
The plant is new sure of meal, for the
monet fly, bug, or other substance
touches the throat, the mouth Of the
plant begins to shut, the leaves, or lips
immediately close over the victim and
strangle him to death.
| tha ,<fn,xt
much rs you eat bit of meat. The
way you and l eat is this We swallow
the food, and the stomach digests j,
for us by means of what we call gastric
juice. This gastric juice is a sour and
bitter Ii uid, which cuts the food We
have swallowed up, and makes pulp O
it. Then the glands of our stomschs
absorb, or drink up, this fluid, and il
goes into the blood and gives us health
and strength.
In the same way Mr. Plant eats The
fly or bug. A sort of sour and bite
juice starts from the leaves on the in
side and cuts the bug into pieces, and
then into sort of jelly; and after this
the glands, of which the plant is very
full, suck this jelly or liquid up and
carries il all over the plant and gives life
and strength and vigor to all its parts.
As soon AS one insect is eaten in this
way, the leaves open again and the
trap is set for another. How many ar
enterprising plant of average industry
will catch and devour in day ] do MOI
exactly know. suppose it depends
on the number of them in the air.
The plants are not over particular
about their diet, and will take beef, M
egg geletine, and many other things
of that nature. At the same time, they
have some choice about their food, anc
will not eat grass, starch, oil, or anything
that is too fatty. A gnat tickles then
palate, ~ turtle does the tongue Of ar
epicure; and az for dainty, tender
butterfly, why it is said that you could
not please the plant better than by feed
ing one to it.
So delicately is the plant made, and
so sensitive are the hundreds OF
boards that line its throat, that a piece
of human hair, one eightthousandth
part of An inch long, dropped on the
plant will cause it to close imm cdiately