A very singular group of plants, the Sarracenias, are quite common in
the bogs of North America. These are of an elegant shape, and may be as
much as one foot or two feet in height. Nearly always they are highly
colored, and altogether so attractive do they appear that insects of all
kinds simply crowd to them. On arrival at the lip of the pitcher, the
insects find a feast of honey spread out for their delectation. With
almost devilish ingenuity this becomes sweeter and more plentiful the
farther down into the pitcher one traverses. At a certain point,
however, the nectar ceases, and the insect thinks that he will retrace
his steps. But although it has been easy enough to go down, it is almost
impossible to get back, for the surface of the inside of the pitcher is
thickly covered with sharp bristles, all pointing downward.
Some flying insects may escape, but even these do not find it easy, as
witness the fact that the plant often catches a large number of winged
creatures. In the lower part of the Sarracenia pitcher a fluid is
secreted, and it is into this that the creatures ultimately fall, and,
of course, perish. How successful are the Sarracenias in their
insect-catching may be gathered from the fact that pitchers have been
discovered well nigh full of flies and other small creatures.