A Vegetable Octopus.

Evening Star, Issue 8406, 6 January 1891, Page 3

A Vegetable Octopus.

A naturalist who has carefully studied the flora and fauna of Central America found a singular growth iu one of the swamps whioh surround the great Lake of Nicaragua. He was engaged in hunting botanical and entomological ipecimens in this iiwamp, which is known as St. Sebastian's, when he heard his dog cry out, as if in agony, from a distance. Running;*) the spot from which the animal's cries came, he found him enveloped in a network of rope wire tissues and fibres, from which he had difficulty in setting the dog free. When released Carlo's hairleES skin appeared to have been aotually sucked or puckered in spots, and he staggered as if from weakness and exhaustion. In cutting the vines the twigs curled like living sinuous fingers about the naturalist's hand, and it required no slight force to free the member from their clinging grasp,, whioh left the flash red and blistered. Tho gum exuding from the vine was of a greyish dark tinge, remarkably adhesive, and of a disagreeable animal odor, very powerful and nauseating to inhale Inquiry elicited the information that tbo Natives have a great horror of this vino, which is called the devil's vine. A story told of its death-dealing powers was that of an Englishman residing in Managua, who, whilo hunting in the swamp a few years ago, lay down beneath a tree where a large and powerful specimen of this singular plant was growing, and inadvertently falling asleep woke to find himself enveloped in its web, and in spite of eveiy effort made to extiioate him he perished in its deadly embrace. An escaped convict perished in a similar manner. It is almost impossible to handle even small specimens of this plant, for its grasp can only be torn away with loss of skin and even flesh. Its power of suction is contained in a number of infinitesimal mouths, or little suckers, which, ordinarily closed, open for the reception of food. The gum exuded seems to serve the twofold purpose of increasing its tenacity and of overcoming a victim by its sickening odor.

The plant is found only in low, wet places, and usually beneath a large tree, and while dormant seems only a network of dry, dead vines, covering the black earth for Beveral feet, but coming in contact with anything it will instantly begin to twist and twine upwards in a horrible life like manner, breaking out withthegum-like substance that we spoke of before, and enwrap the object with a celerity that is almost incredible. If the substance is animal the blood is drawn off and the carcass or refuse then dropped. A lump of raw meat being thrown in, in tho short space of five minutes the blood will be thoroughly drunk off and the mass thrown aside. Its voracity is almost beyond belief, it devouring at ono limo over 101b of meat, though it may be deprived of all food for weekß without any apparent loss of vitality.—The 'lrish Times.'