40 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. (Cuar. IIL. 
absolutely colourless fluid, in which some flocculent greenish matter 
was suspended. 
At the commencement of the process of aggregation, more especially 
in dark red leaves, the contents of the cells often present a different 
appearance, as if the layer of protoplasm (primordial utricle) which 
lines the cells had separated itself and shrunk from the walls; an 
irregularly shaped purple bag being thus formed. Other fluids, besides 
a solution of the carbonate, for instance an infusion of raw meat, 
produce this same effect. But the appearance of the primordial 
utricle shrinking from the walls is certainly false;* for before giving 
the solution, I saw on several occasions that the walls were lined with 
colourless flowing protoplasm, and, after the bag-like masses were 
formed, the protoplasm was still flowing along the walls in a con- 
spicuous manner, even more so than before. It appeared indeed as if 
the stream of protoplasm was strengthened by the action of the 
carbonate, but it was impossible to ascertain whether this was really 
the case. The bag-like masses, when once formed, soon begin to 
glide slowly round the cells, sometimes sending out projections which 
separate into little spheres; other spheres appear in the fluid sur- 
rounding the bags, and these travel much more quickly. That the 
small spheres are separate is often shown by sometimes one and then 
another travelling in advance, and sometimes they revolve round each 
other. I have occasionally seen spheres of this kind proceeding up and 
down the same side of a cell, instead of round it. The bag-like masses 
after a time generally divide into two rounded or oval masses, and 
these undergo the changes shown in figs. 7 and 8. At other times. 
spheres appear within the bags; and these coalesce and separate in an 
endless cycle of change. 
After leaves have been left for several hours in a solution of the 
carbonate, and complete aggregation has been effected, the stream of 
protoplasm on the walls of the cells ceases to be visible; I observed. 
this fact repeatedly, but will give only one instance. A pale purple 
leaf was placed in a few drops of a solution of one part to 292 of water, 
and in 2 hrs. some fine purple spheres were formed in the upper cells 
of the pedicels, the stream of protoplasm round their walls being still 
quite distinct ; but after an additional 4 hrs., during which time many 
more spheres were formed, the stream was no longer distinguishable on 
the most careful examination; and this no doubt was due to the 
contained granules having become united with the spheres, so that 
nothing was left by which the movement of the limpid protoplasm 
could be perceived. But minute free spheres still travelled up and 
down the cells, showing that there was still a current. So it was next 
* With other plants I have often a solution of carbonate of ammonia 
seen what appears to be a true as likewise follows from mechanical 
shrinking of the primordial utricle injuries. 
from the walls of the cells, caused by 
