Nevada County picayune., 1889-05-29
THE DEVILS TREE.
Discovery of a Third Specimen of the Carnivorous Arbor
 DiabOli.


 crat most singular discovery which l have recently made.
 study of botany during my sojourn in this country, the flora of which presents one of the richest fields for the scientists in the world. and have wandered some distance from town on several occasions ill my search for specimens. On one of these eXpedl- tions l noticed dark object on one of the outlying spurs of the Sierra Madre mountains, which object eXcit- ed my curiosity so much that exam ined it carefully through my field glass. This revealed that the object was a tree or shrub of such an unusu- al appearance that l resolved to visit the spot. I rode to the mountain, the stdes of which slOped sufficiently for me to make my way on horseback to within few rods of the summit But here 1 was stopped by an abrupt rise so steep that 1 despaired of reaching it even on foot. l went around 1t several times seeking for some way to climb up, but the jag ged, beetling rocks afforded not the slightest foothold. On the top of this knob stands the tree l had seen. From the spot on which l now stood could see that it somewhat resem- bled in form the weeping willow, but the long, dropping whip-like limbs were of dark and apparently slimy appearance, and seemed possessed of a horrible life-like power of coiling and uncoiling.
 Occasionally the whole tree would seem q writhing, squirming mass. l My desire to investigate this strange vegetable product increased on the many expeditions Imade to the spot, and at last l saw sight one day which made me believe that l had certainly discovered an unheard-of- thing. A bird, which l had watched circlng about for some time, finally settled on the top of the tree, when the branches began to awaken, as 1t were, and to curl upwards. They twined and twisted like snakes about the bird, which began to scream, and drew it down in their fearful embrace until l lost sight of it. Horror stricken, seized the nearest rock i'll an attempt to climb the knob.
 l had so often in vain tried to do ] this that 1 was not surprised when l fell back. but the rock was lOosened and fell also It narrowly missed me, but l sprang up unhurt, and saw that the fallen rock had left a considerable cavity. l put my face to it and looked in. Something like cavern, the floor of which had an upward tendency met my sight, and I felt a current of fresh air blowing on me, with a dry, earthly smell. | Evidently there was another open ing somewhere, undoubtedly at the summit. Using my trowel. which l always carried on my botaniziug expeditions, l enlarged the hole, and then pushed my way through the passage. When had nearly reach ed the top l looked out cautiously to see if l should emerge within reach of that diabolical tree. But l found it nowhere near the aperture, so l sprang out. was just in time { to see the tlattened carcass of the bird drop to the ground. which was covered with bones and feathers approached as closely as l dared to examine the tree. It was low in size, not more than twenty feet high, but covering a great area. Its trunk was of prodigious thickness, knotted and scaly. From the top of this trunk, few feet from the ground, its slimy branches curved upward and downward, nearly touching the ground with their tapering tips.
 Its appearance was that of glgan- tic tarantula awaiting it's prey. On my yenturing to lightly touch one of the limbs, it closed upon my hand with such force that when l tore it loose the skin came with it. 1 de- l scended then, and closing the the passage l returned home. l went back next day carrying half dozen chickens with which to feed the tree. i The moment l tossed it the fowl. a violent agitation shook its branches, i which swayed to and fro with q sinu- ous snaky motion. After deyouring the fowls, these branches, fully 1