The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-27

after this the main stalk of the leaf sud- denly droops downward. After a short interval the next leaf goes through identically the same movements If the shaking or injury is severe, every leaf from below upward moves in the same way. Try to pluck spray and it fades between your fingers. so that 1t Is very difficult to gather and examine it in an expanded condition.
 One probable advantage of these move ments can be understood from the be- havior of flies, which alight upon the leaves and make them drop. The flies are startled and go away. Grazing an- mals will consider such behavior in a plant uncanny and will probably go to some other, less ingeniously protected.
 Another sensitive species is the curious semaphore or telegraph plant, where leaf lets suddenly and without any obvious reason move with a jerk through an an- gle of several degrees.
 An odd plant, which is found occasion ally in Oregon is the ghost plant. It is tall and wax-like, about eight inches high, and its bloom resembles a waxen cup. It was known and much praised by the Indians of Oregon, who knew 1t the pipe plant. They believed that it had great remedial qualities, and made from it a lotion which they considered a cure for diseases of the eye.
 Tn the deserts of the west is found a curious specimen Gbervillea sonorae) of the cucumber family. Like the camel, this plant finds that it is long time between drinks, and, like the camel again, nature has prepared it for these periods of drought. The rainy season is short in the desert, and occurs only once a year. So that the plant may obtain enough moisture for the dry season 1t is provided with a reservoir to store up water. The or gan in which the water is stored is at the base of the stem, and is covered with a sort of waterproof envelope, through which the water can neither escape nor evaporate.
 A most remarkable plant is the drinking orchid, which is found in South America. This orchid takes a drink, whenever it feels thirsty, by means of tube which it lets down into the water. The formation of this orchid is different from others of it's species. it having sharp leaves, lance-' head shaped, growing around the root and radiating from it. From the cen ter of the plant hangs the tube, about one-eighth of an inch thick and one fourth of an inch wide.
 When touched it gradually contracts and rolls itself up in spiral-like coil As rule these orchids are to be found growing directly over the water. or where water has been, and in the lat ter case it is almost path hetic to see how the tube will work its way over the ground to a pool or river. The drinking tube when not in use. Is coiled up on the top of the plant
 During the fall and early winter sever al years ago a number of men might have been observed in the streets selling an odd little plant which they called the Resurrection plant" Many and wonder ful were the tales told of the plant by these itinerant salesmen to persuade pros- pective customers to purchase. Most of them either stated directly or else led their hearers to infer that the plants came only from the Holy Land, where they were emblematical of the Resurrec- ton. Most of them, however, were Poly podum incarnium, the commonest of all the ferns of Florida. During the dry sea son the plant curls up into small ball and has the appearance of being dead. In this condition 1t will bear transporta- tion very we'll When it Is placed in a bowl containing little water the leaves unfold and assume bright green color, forming a rather pretty and ornamental plant
 One of the most remarkable of the worlds trees, found along the Amazon. in South America, is the. Masseranduba, or milk tree. It Is a magnificent tree even in that country of illimitable for ests, rising with a straight stem to an enormous height The timber Is very hard,s. fine grained and durable and is valued for structures which are much ex- posed to the weather. The fruit is edible and very good, being the size Of small apple and full of rich and juicy pulp.
 But strangest of all is the vegetable milk, which exudes in abundance when the bark is cut. The milk has about the conscience of thick cream, and save for very slight, peculiar taste could scarce, lv he distinguished from the product of the COW. The natives use this tree milk in their coffee and tea and in cooking