The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-01
THE MOSQUITO PEST.

and all conditions, and in spite of the
scattering or burning of buhach and
other insect exterminators its unwel-
come singing is still heard in close
proximity to ones ears at all hours Of
the day or night, especially the latter.
The following in a late issue OF the
New York SHn, from the pen of Con
gresham Amos ]. Cummings, descrip-
tive of the result of a recent botanical
excursion through Florida, under the
leadership of William r. Smith, Super
intendent of the National Botanic
Garden at Washington, and bearing
special relation 10 ''nsect- feeding" plants
may afford possible solution of the
mosquito nuisance from an unexpected
source, and should be read with much
interest by all residents in these Islands,
and especially by the Bureau Of Agri
culture;
The search for Sarydcenia or insect
feeding plants ran along the edge of a
swamp back of the creek. They were
found in great profusion. The first
discovered were what Mr.. Smith calls
"whiskey shops" They were the trum-
pet leaf, known to science as Sara
cenia VayiolayiS The darkey declared
that they were a sure cure for small
pox. The plants are perennial marsh
herbs. They are vegetable cups about
a foot high, tapering like long cham
payne glass, and carefully hooded, SO
as to preserve the liquor inside. The
hood arches the cup like the hood of
bath robe Yellow flowers arise from
the root between the cups. The
entrance to the cup is under the arch.
There are transparent spots upon the
back of the hood, something like the
spots on good cigars. The cup con
tains a liquor Intoxicating to insects.
An ant or a bug crawls up the outside
and disappears beneath the arch.
There is probably thimbleful of liquid
in the bottom of the oblong cup. The
insect finds sugary substance beneath
the hood, which apparently increases
his appetite for the liquor below,
Possibly it serves the same purpose as
pretzel in saloon. At all events
the bug or fly descendS and sips the
fluid until, stupefed with intoxication,
it sinks and finally dies.
Upon opening one of the cups we
found therein flies, ants, bugs, little
green grasshoppers and other insects,
in wet, compact mass at the bottom.
They had evidently met their fate with
out struggling or even entering pro-
test. Attention was called to the trans
parent spots on the back Of the hood.
Mr. Smith could not divine their object.
The colored botanist, who had been a
close observer, gave him information
somewhat startling. 1t was the fact
that these whisky shops are open day
and night The transparent spots
serve as windows, and let in the moon
light. Thus the little shop is illumin-
ated, and a train of night customers
succeeds those who patronize the still
by day. The colored botanist had dis
covered the secret while out at night
hunting raccoons and opossums. He
had seen June bugs and other insects
that fly by night crowding to the bar.
Our observations confirmed the
negros statement His theory is I'M
doubtedy true. DR.. Gray's interpreta-
ton of Darwin is that there is always a
purpose in nature. These transparent
spots, serving as windows to countless
whisky shops, seem to prove it. In
deed, the colored botanist said that he
had placed a lantern at the side of the
plants on nights when there was no
moon. The light of the lantern shone
through the tiny windows, and in an
instant the bar was open for business.
The insects crowded into the shop and
its proprietor silently robbed them OF
their lives. The plant is nourished by
the operation. 1t feeds night and day,
and the flies, ants and bugs rot and
fertilize it.
The liquid may be pure nepenthe,
but it has the deadly effect of morphine.
The insects seek it like old topers. 1t
is said that a British Admiral once died
on foreign station His body was
placed in a cask of rum and shipped
for England. The sailors of the vesse
detached for this service became drunk
every night, to the surprise of the off
GERS, who wondered where they got theil
grog. Finally, an old tar, who had
been arrested, let the secret out. Hi;
messmates, he said, had tapped the
Admiral" The insects who patronize
these vegetable saloons are like the
British sailors. When the liquor in
the cup is all absorbed, and the v
shaped bottom is choked with dead in
sects saturated with the fluid, the late
corners, finding no beverage, tap the
body of those who have preceded them
Thoroughly intoxicated by the process
they die in their turn.
An insectivera, seen in great aburd
ance along the line of the railway, was
Sarydcenia fora, also a trumpet Leaf,
1t has the shape of trumpet and an
opening for insects much larger than
the plant just described, The leaves