The "devil's Moose."

Carnivorous planta are certainly among the cnriosities of the vegetable world. The poetical and religious Linnaeus, who had occasion to study the fly catching peony, found, in his astonishment, no other name to bestow upon it than this - Miraculum naturas (prodigy of nafrare). Since the illustricras Swedish botanist, the mechanism of carnivorous plants has been well studied, and particular ly by Darwin, who has devoted to these plants a remarkable work. They are usually of small dimensions, and do Qot attain the size of oue described in the "Bolletino Jel Naturalisti. " M. Fabiano Cario tells there of a gigantic carnivorous plant that has been discovered on the shores of Lake Nicaragua by a naturalist named Dunstan. He discovered this curious plant in the following manner : Traveling with his dog, he heard the animal give vent to cries of pain. He advanced and found bis dog held by three black, sticky bands, under which the skin was chafed till it bied. These bands were the branches of a new carnivorous plant, which Dunstan calis the "land octopus. " The branches are flexible, polished, black, without leaves, secreting a viscous fluid andfurnished with a great number of suckers by which they attach themselves to their victims. It might almost be believed to be an octopus transformed into a plant. To extricate his dog Dunstan tried to cut the branches, and succeeded, though not without difficulty, and after having his hands severely injured by the tentacles of the ' ' laud octopus. ' ' As may be realized.observations under these conditions vrere not couvenient to tnake, and the naturalist was able to get few facts concerning this odd plant. He proved the presence of uurnerous suckers, and fourid that the fetid odor of the black sticky fluid that covers the branches serves to attract prey to the plant. He also was able to note similarity of character with other carnivorous plants. For instance, the "land octopus" abandons its prey af ter having sucked out the nutritivo elements. The natives of Central America cali this singular plant by the appropriate name of "the devil's noose. -