II
1.On this same patch of moor we may find another of these flesh-eating plants.This is smaller than the last，and less easily found.It has a slender flower-stalk with a spike of small whitish flowers rising from the centre of a curious group of leaves.The leaves lie flat on the ground；they are small and round，no larger than split peas，and covered with bright red hairs that look like tiny red pins stuck in a tiny green pin-cushion.
2.Each of these hairs carries at its point a bead of clear fluid，which glitters in the sun；hence the plant is cal led the sundew.Let any thirstyinsect come to drink thisdew，and a strange thingLEAF OF SUNDEW ENLARGEDhappens.He finds his feet held fast by the sticky dew，and the more he struggles the more of these dewdrops doeshe rub against.He is held fast until he is suffocatedthen he is digested and swallowed up by the leaf.
3.Those hairs，as we have called them，are really a kind oftentacle，like those with whichsome animals hold their prey；and when a small fly alights on the plant，the hairs begin to bend in towards the centre of the leaf.Even those hairs which have not been touched bend over，as yourfingers close upon your palm ，until all of them are helping to hold fast the prey and dissolve it with their liquid.
4.If the insect alights near the edge of the leaf，he is thusSUNDEWcarried towards the centre and held fast，while the leaf itself bends so as to form a cup for the acid that pours from the hairs.If two insects alight on the same leaf，the hairs form into two groups，those near each animal curving towards him，so that the leaf acts as if it had two hands.In this way all the insects that come are attended to.
5.There are certain other insect-eating plants found in mossy pools，not so well known as the butterwortand sundew.These are the bladderworts.They have no roots，and they live in the water.In winter they sink to the bottom and go to sleep.In summer they float，and spend their time-as so many boys would like to do-in fishing，or，at any rate，in trapping the very minutecreatures that swarm inBLADDER-WORTevery pool.
6.They catch insects exactly as fishermen catch lobsters.They have little，b l a d d e r -l i ke t r a p s ，i n to which small creatures swimor crawl；but once in，these never get out again，for the entrance is guarded by stiff hairs，and has a kind oftrap-door，which only opens inwards.On the outsidethe trap is also protected by bristles；but theseare large，and prevent only the larger animals from entering，and this makes the smaller ones all the more ready to go in for shelter.
7.Among the insect-eaters or flesh-eaters of other lands，the most striking is the plant known as Venus’s fly-trap.You can see by the picture that its leaves are arranged somewhat like those of the sundew.Thereis a broad，flat leaf-stalk，and the leaf proper at the end of it is composed of two roundedlobes，which lie like a bookpartly opened.Round the edge is a row of teeth，and on the round part are a few hairs，which act as feelers.
8.When an insect settles on these feelers，the open book shuts up very quickly，and the teeth on the opposite edges pass each other，just as your fingers do when you clasp your hands together.They remain locked together in this way until the insect is digested，and only the hard parts of it remain.Then the book or trap opens again，and is ready for another meal.
9.There is also a large class of plants，known as pitcher-plants，that trap insects.They arenatives of tropical countries ；PITCHER-PLANTbut you may see them in thehot-houses of any botanicgarden.In some kinds thepitchers are seen growing upright，in others hangingfrom a tendrilwith liquid.but in every case they are partly filled10.Beads of honey round the edge，and sometimes patches of gay colour，attract insects，many of which slip down the smooth sides of the pitcher into the liquid.They are prevented from escaping by a fringe of stiff hairs which grow，point down wards，inside the lip of the pitcher；and so they are first drowned and thenPITCHER-PLANTdissolved in the liquid，andtheir substance is absorbedplant.
11.Most plants require animal substances as part of their food，and farmers and gardeners supply this to them.We generally find that plants of the flesh-eating or insect-eating kind grow on moors and in ponds，where there is little animal matter to be found；hencethey have acquiredin those ingeniousthe power of helping themselvesways which we have noticed.
