| Show PLANTS GETTING PERILOUS It ia is a tact fact recognized by botanists as beyond dispute that the carnivorous rous habit among plants Is more more widespread widespread wide wide- spread than It was formerly supposed to be The specialized sundews Dro Dro- are but the advance guard of ofa ofa a large army of species which depend for their existence more or less upon absorption of animal salts through their foliage There Is no gainsaying the statement recently put forward by more than one scientist that the tendency tendency ten ten- dency to rely upon a a carnivorous diet is on the increase Of course this is only in a line with the simplest evolutionary evo principle It la is possible to trace the steps by which the highest types of species which seize and hold their prey such as the Venus fly trap have been evolved from those which merely capture their victims vic I tims by the use of an fluid such as the fly catcher of Portugal Still SUU lower In the scale are the plants such as the which drown the Insects insects In in- sects In strange like bucket contrivances contrivances contrivances' ances ances' ances located at the base of the leaves Flies which may chance to fall Into the water are of course drowned and the plant absorbs the nitrogenous ni elements from their decaying decaying decay decay- ing bodies It Is a startling conception advanced by some scientists that In ages to come these plants may become so advanced ad ad- in carnivorous tastes as to be bea a real menace to animal creation Dreadful Indeed must be the sundews and the to their Insect victims victims vic vic- tims at the present time The The unfortunate unfortunate which la is by the fly captured leaf of the sundew finds itself held down by strong arms which are able to resist Its violent struggles The largest on at the present present pres pres- ent time produces leaves which are perhaps nine inches In length Magnify Magnify Mag Mag- this plant until the leaves are ten feet in length and we have an exceedingly formidable plant Many of the palms and other tropical species cies have foliage which is much In excess of th this s measurement so that the idea of leaves as big aa as this la is lanot not altogether fantastic To be proportionate proportionate pro pro- the tentacles could scarcely scarcely scarce scarce- ly be less than ten inches In length and these would be able to grapple with birds of consider considerable le size We We may conceive that the giant sundew would be able to hold out some special special cial Inducement for its intended victims vic tims to visit the leaves Probably the bait would be In tho form of some tasting sweet secretion On alighting the birds would probably not find the adhesive fluid auld which tho leaves would produce more than slightly annoying The movements which they would make mako In an endeavor to tree free themselves them selves would be all mt nt to give the stimulus to the sensitive tentacles These would rapidly close In on their prey and In a few mom escape escapa would be out of the question Finally the unfortunate birds birda would perish miserably the bodies In their decay yielding to the plant the nitrogenous matter desired The are at the present time looking Innocent plants plants' rather plants rather attractive at In appearance These species as Is well known and their home bome In boggy tracts where they spread their foliage on the surface of the ground in the form r rm of a rosette rosetta If the leaves of the butterwort are closely examined examined exam exam- ined It will be seen that they are arc thickly covered with two sets seta of glands one set of which Is plainly visible visible vis vis- ible to the naked eye ThIs visible set resembles a miniature mushroom i while the other set is microscopic and andla la formed of eight cells grouped after I Ithe the manner of ot a wart or a knob It isI la is lathe the practice of these glands whenever I they come Into contact with any ob ob- to pour out ou copiously a mucilaginous ous fluid acts much In the same way as bird lime Ume Acid secretion la Is also produced which aids the leaf lea In Inthe Inthe the digestion of the object supposing object supposing that the capture should be an Insect In order to make assurance doubly sure the edge of the leaf In certain species la is seen to to curl slowly Inward Now we can imagine that In the very faraway far future with which we are ared d dealing aUng the will develop leaves leavea which will hardly be less than five or six feet in length These lying along the surface of the ground will make a special appeal to grazing ani mals |
