250 DIONÆA MUSCIPULA. (Car. XIII. 
for twenty-four days, though the fly was small; in a third 
for twenty-four days over a woodiouse; and in a fourth, for 
thirty-five days over a large Tipula. In two other cases 
leaves remained closed for at least nine days over flies, and 
for how many more I do not know. It should, however, be 
added that in two instances in which very small insects had 
been naturally caught the leaf opened as quickly as if 
nothing had been caught ; and I suppose that this was due 
to such small insects not having been crushed or not having 
excreted any animal matter, so that the glands were not 
excited. Small angular bits of albumen and gelatine were 
placed at both ends of three leaves, two of which remained 
closed for thirteen and the other for twelve days. Two 
other leaves remained closed over bits of meat for eleven 
days, a third leaf for eight days, and a fourth (but this had 
been cracked and injured) for only six days. Bits of cheese, 
or casein, were placed at one end and albumen at the other 
end of three leaves; and the ends with the former opened 
after six, eight, and nine days, whilst the opposite ends 
opened a little later. None of the above bits of meat, 
albumen, &c., exceeded a cube of -y of an inch (2°54 mm.) 
in size, and were sometimes smaller ; yet these small portions 
sufficed to keep the leaves closed for many days. Dr. Canby 
informs me that leaves remain shut for a longer time over 
insects than over meat; and from what I have seen, I can 
well believe that this is the case, especially if the insects are 
large. 
In all the above cases, and in many others in which leaves 
remained closed for a long but unknown period over insects 
naturally caught, they were more or less torpid when they 
re-opened, Generally they were so torpid during many 
succeeding days that no excitement of the filaments caused 
the least movement. In one instance, however, on the day 
after a leaf opened which had clasped a fly, it closed with 
extreme slowness when one of its filaments was touched ; and 
although no object was left enclosed, it was so torpid that it 
did not re-open for the second time until 44 hrs. had elapsed. 
In a second case, a leaf which had expanded after remaining 
closed for at least nine days over a fly, when greatly irritated, 
moved one alone of its two lobes, and retained this unusual 
position for the next two days. A third case offers the 
strongest exception which I have observed; a leaf, after 
1emaining clasped for an unknown time over a fly, opened, 
