New-York tribune., 1884-10-04
THE DOMESTIC MAIL,
4 FfSH.ElTfNG PLANT.
yrom tn, scientific fmsv'od,

Tron tn, Scientific hpevoan
There is q little plant, common enough IN orr
denly sprung importance for breeders Of carp Tho
badder.wor genus brlcaiaria i- rooic-. plai fond
out OF the water the branching and sienke leaves form
Ing The submerged oa' fron which rises the flower stem
To the leaves attached curousy iusectkc hladdefs
filled with water. and varying in size In the different
species reaching az times diameter Of onenfh Of an
inch.
II formerly. and with much probability. supposed
until few years II taken granted that air
and not water filled them II Is now known. however.
mat e hdders serve more useful purpose Than mere
ly to keep the head Of the plant above water they
the digestive ~ the Cieuiqyia and at the
catching food. 1t Is into these hladders
that thousands of carp eggs find their unwilling way to-
gether with many insects, crusacea and other tiny OBJ
Jects, both animate and inanmate.
II only recently that the Uciaria has been accused
O destroying carp but for nearly thirty years has
been known receiver Of small insects and crIsta
sean' ara II mas been SnowT as an n,1c lseef Tor az
gave a full and interesting description Of tho habits ~
one species CThieu aria eiandestina aud Darwin and
Others OF Europe studied the habits OF other species In
Europe and elsewhere
In IT, character AS an insectivorous plant the hadler
wort might fail to arouse general interest, but %
destroyer Of carp Il has commercial rs wen as
der-wOrt (UouGrid ruigdJts affords the easiest sub
for study nasmuch its bladders reach the largest
size and may be satisfactorily examined with moderate
The bladder is pear.shapcd, with opening al tho
small end Aroand ths mouth are "a are p
the purpose of warding OF and keeping out insects of
too great size. The mouth is closed by valve which
Yields readily 10 light pressure but offers an able
barrier to the captured creature The utmost
strength compatible with such structure has appar
emily been attained. The valve il thin and trans
parent plate and, by means OF the water behind
IT, Is made to stand out bright spot, when
Darwin thinks may attract prey Something certainly
attracts the ny denzens OF The water for they swim UP
TO the mouth and crawl into the bladder by the readily
yielding door As there Is seductive secretion here as
in the case of many insect destroying plants, the great
naturalists surmise Is probably correct.
Some Of the nsectivorous plants catching their prey
at pour ont digestive ud analogous Ia the gastric
Juice of the human stomach but with the Cfcuidrtd II IL
not The insects other food when caught In the
bladder merely captves and swim about In their
fined quarters with activity In their eudeaVor to
find outlet, until asphyx xia for lack of oxygen
Even now the plant makes no effort tn digest tho
animal food hut waits patiently until decay takes place.
and the animal matter IL by putIcfacton resolved into
fluids which the numerous papile lining the bladder can
absorb.
Examination aud repeated experiment proved conclu
siyely that the greedy little badders were making sad
havoc with the fish, and I'm consequence carp breeders
hidden to open vigorously on Uh1culrta aud all
ts species. II may seem ut hasty glance that the
small baddcrs hardly he responsible for any very
extensive destruction of eggs small fish, but the doubt
of the ability of insignificant agents. acting together.
tD produce stupcndnus effects hc referred to tho
microscopic rhlopos the earth worms each IN their
performing sondcrful feats In the way Of earth
building and earth preserving.