Note 7 — HOME STUDIES IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS.

“Nepenthes,” or pitcher plants. A genus of plants whose leaves form receptacles for water. The plants are natives of the swamps in the East Indies and Australia. The linear-lanceolate leaves have at their extremities a long, spiral stem, at the end of which is attached an urn, or pitcher, of narrow cylindrical form, from six to twelve inches long, in the different species, which are of the same color as the leaves, in some varieties, in others spotted with red, and still others are of a blood red color. The pitcher is terminated by a lid which is sometimes closed. The pitcher is always partly filled with watery liquid. Honey is secreted around the mouth of the pitcher, and insects are found within it, which have been lured by the honey. These are supposed to contribute to the nourishment of the plant. For further description, see the article on “Borneo,” in the present number of The Chautauquan. There are some varieties of the pitcher plant found in the United States.