The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-05-28
A BIood-Sucking Plant.

LEROY Dunstan, a well-know naturalist
Of New Orleans, who has recently re-
turned from Central America, where he
had spent nearly two years in the study
Of the fora and fauna of the country, re-
lates the finding of singular growth IN
one Of the swamps which surround the
great lake Of Nicaragua. He was engaged
in hunting for botanical and entomolo-
logical specimens in this swamp, which is
known as San Sebastians when be heard
his dog cry out as if in agony, from DIS
tanoe. Running 10 the spot from which
the animals cries came, Mr.. Dunstan
found him enveloped in perfect net
work Of what seemed TO be a fine, rope
like tissue Of roots OF fibers, the nature
Of which was unknown to him.
The plant or vine seemed composed
entirely Of bare, interlacing stems, re-
sembling more than anything else the
branches Of weeping willow denuded
of all foliage, but Of dark, nearly black
hue. and covered with a thick, Tiscid
gum that exuded from the pores. Draw
ing his knife, Mr. Dunstan endeavored
10 cut the animal free, but it was only
with the greatest difficulty that he sue
ceeded in severing the fieshy, muscular
fiber. To his horror and amazement the
naturalist then saw that the dogs body
was covered with blood, while his hair
less skin appeared TO have been actually
sucked or puckerd in spots and the ami
nal staggered AS if from weakness and
exhaustion.
In cutting the vine the twigs curled
like living. sinuous fingers about Mr..
Dunstan's hand, and it required no slight
force to free the members from its cling
ing clasp, which left the flesh red and
blistered. The gum exuding from the
vine was Of dark grsyish tinge, remark
ably adhesive and of a disagreeable ami
NAL odor. very powerful and nauseating
10 inhale.
The native servants who accompanied
Mr.. Dunstan manifested the greatest
horror Of the vine, which they call la
sagenas de diable-the DEVILS seine, or
snare-and were full Of stories Of its
desth-dealing powers. One Of these
4 lries was Of an Englishman residing in
Maracua, who, while hunting in swamp
a few years before, lay down beneath
tree where a large and powerful speci-
men Of this singular plant was growing,
and inadvertently falling asleep, awoke
TO find himself enveloped in its web, and
in spite Of every effort made to extricate
him. persisted IN its deadly embrace.
Another story was Of an escaped con
vict. who had hidden in the swamp, and
whose bones had been found in the folds
of the ssgenas only a short time befon
MIR. Dunstan's visit. These stories, re
markabe as they may seem, are firmly
believed in by the people, but the only
three specimens which Mr.. Dunstan wa
able 10 end were all small ones, thougl
the meshes of the largest would probably
ifextcnded in straight line, measur'
nearly ifnot quite 100 feet.
lie was able to discover very littl'
about the nature Of the plant owing e
the difficulty Of handling it, for its grasl
can only be torn away with loss of skin
and even of flesh but as near as Nh
Dunstan could ascertain, its power of sue
ton is contained in a number of infinite
simal mouths or little suckers, which OF
dinarily closed, open for the reception q
food.-Frant Lssiie's Magazine.