202 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. [Cuar. X. 
(1) This leaf proved rather torpid : after 4 hrs. 40 m. (in all cases 
reckoning from the time when the meat was given) the tentacles at 
the distal end were a little inflected, but nowhere else; they remained 
so for three days, and re-expanded on the fourth day. The leaf was 
then dissected, and the trunk, as well as the two sublateral branches, 
were found divided. 
(2) After 4 hrs. 30 m. many of the tentacles at the distal end were 
well inflected. Next day the blade and all the tentacles at this end 
were strongly inflected, and were separated by a distinct transverse line 
from the basal half of the leaf, which was not in the least affected. On 
the third day, however, some of the short tentacles on the disc near 
the base were very slightly inflected. The incision was found on 
dissection to extend across the leaf as in the last case. 
(3) After 4 hrs. 30 m. strong inflection of the tentacles at the distal 
end, which during the next two days never extended in the least to 
the basal end. The incision as before. 
(4) This leaf was not observed until 15 hrs. had elapsed, and then 
all the tentacles, except the extreme marginal ones, were found 
equally well inflected all round the leaf. On careful examination the 
spiral vessels of the central trunk were certainly divided; but the 
incision on one side had not passed through the fibrous tissue 
surrounding these vessels, though it had passed through the tissue on 
the other side.* 
The appearance presented by the leaves (2) and (3) was 
very curious, and might be aptly compared with that of a 
man with his backbone broken and lower extremities 
paralysed. Excepting that the line between the two halves 
was here transverse instead of longitudinal, these leaves were 
in the same state as some of those in the former experiments, 
with bits of meat placed on one side of the disc. The case of 
leaf (4) proves that the spiral vessels of the central trunk 
may be divided, and yet the motor impulse be transmitted 
from the distal to the basal end; and this led me at first to 
suppose that the motor force was sent through the closely 
surrounding fibrous tissue; and that if one half of this 
tissue was left undivided, it sufficed for complete transmission. 
3ut opposed to this conclusion is the fact that no vessels pass 
directly from one side of the leaf to the other, and yet, as we 
have seen, if a rather large bit of meat is placed on one side, 
the motor impulse is sent, though slowly and imperfectly, in 
* M. Ziegler made similar ex- rendus, 1874, p. 1417), but arrived 
periments by cutting the spiral ves- at conclusions widely different from 
sels of Drosera intermedia («Comptes mine. 
