The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-06-27
A WONDERFUL PLANT
IT BEARS INSECTS AND WAS SENT
TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.

at washington received the most re-
markable specimen of plant life, or of
plant and insect life, in existence. This
specimen is, to all appearances, an in
sect bearing plant. 1t comes from Ven
ezuela, and the natives there say that
it is not uncommon. Unfortunately,
both plant and insect are dead, but they
are we'll preserved, having been care
fully packed for transportation. The
specimen was brought to New York by
Captain Chambers of the Red d line
steamship Philadelphia, and was sent
on to Washington the following day.
q. T. Mcmillan, superintendent Of
the Venezuelan Great Western railroad,
is the man who sends this gift to the
Smithsonian. When Captain Chambers
saw him ON this trip to Venezuela, he
said to the captain:
''I've got something that want you
to take to the Smithsonian institution
for me-"
''What is it," asked the captain, who
has had other experiences of this sort,
"a three tailed monkey or converse
tional parrot? Will you warrant it not
to bitter"
~ WILL" Mr.. Mcmillan said. cts
dead. It's a bug growing upon plant. "
Thereupon Captain Chambers broke
into derisive mirth and asked his friend
if he, the captain. looked particularly
simple.
"All right" retorted the superin-
tendent. "Wait till you see it. I've
been hearing about this thing from the
natives for some years, and have al
ways regarded it as fairy tale, but
having found and picked the plant my
self I've had to change my mind. /
tell you this is the most wonderful
thing in the'plant line that ever grew"
He produced the plant, which was
dead and dried, for Captain Chambers
examination. The captain said that he
would be very glad to bring it here and
forward it to Washington. Thus it
became part of his personal cargo. This
Captain Chambers told a reporter in
his cabin soon after his arrival.
"You will think it's fake, too" he
said; $50 l will show you the thing
and let you judge for yourself. ;"
Undoing small cardboard box packed
with bran, he carefully took out the ex-
hibit. 1t appeared to be just what he
had said. There was dead stem about
6 or 2 inches long, with little branch
and small bunch of roots. On the end
of the main stem was perfect insect
an inch long, body, legs, head and eyes
complete. Plant and insect were joined
at the middle of the insects head. The
brittle shell of the head had not been
pierced by the stem, and the insect
seemed to have been growing there as
naturally as flower.
''There you have it," said Captain
Chambers. "It's a plain combination
of plant life and insect life. All that I
know about the thing is what Mr.. Nc
MILAN told me. He found it in the
woods at New Site, Tucacas, Venezue-
Ley u hont 40 miles from Porto Cabello
The plant he says, is wildwood flow
er, growing to a height of foot 1t
bears from two to four flowers, of a
blue color, and in shape much like the
bowl of clay pipe, but little larger.
As the flower expands the insect, which
is the fruit of the plant, begins to form,
and with the falling Of the petals is
full grown.
A number of gentlemen saw the spec
linen, one of whom is something of an
entomoloSist. He was particularly in
terested in il and examined it with
great care.
ut is most curious phenomenon, "
he said, land extremely interesting
from scientific point of view, but /
can say with assurance that the appar-
emit combination of vegetable and ami
NAL life is nothing more than the result
of chance or accident-an accident,
should guess, In which the unfortunate
insect lost its life. 1t is so well pre-
served that there will be little difficulty
with good magnifying glass in deter
mining its exact species, and even with
out that aid l feel pretty confident in
saying that this is the pupa of a species
of cicada allied to our dog day harvest
fly and SO called IL year locust. The
cicada comes up out of the ground in
the form i'll which you see this speci-
men, wingless grub covered with a
horny shell. 1t is extremely destructive
and will eat nearly anything i'll the
line of vegetation that it can reach.
Presently the shell splits up the back,
and the full fiedged cicada energies,
spreads his gaudy wings and seeks the
top of tree. where, clinging to some
branch, he beats his long, whirring heat
tattoo.
MY guess as to this particular speci-
men is that it preserves an insect trag-
edy. Our locust energies from the ground
at the foot of tree upon the roots of
which she, as grub, has been feeding.
l say she, because the male locust in
his final forms is unprovided with an
appetite. Up she comes from the ground,
possessed of a powerful hunger. Near
her mods this blue flower on its supple
stem. The stem bends and sways under
the weight as she climbs but she keeps
on until presently she is ensconoed in
the soft calyx. eating away at its heart.
Now comes the flowers revenge. From
the lacerated stem exudes a sticky sap
Before the voracious invader knows it
she is bemired. Struggle as she will
she can get no foothold to pull away