92 EXPERIENCES IN THE LABYRINTH [CH. 



would experience very distinct changes. A subdued 

 greenish light would prevail in the intercellular passages, 

 the sunlight passing through the green emerald -like 

 chlorophyll-corpuscles having suffered absorption of most 

 of the red and orange rays, though possibly other coloured 

 lights might be present owing to reflections and re- 

 fractions from the numerous surfaces. 



At the same time the atmosphere of the passages 

 would change considerably. The carbon-dioxide would 

 fall to a minimum and the free oxygen would increase to 

 a maximum, while the outrush of water-vapour at the 

 widely gaping stomata would probably reach the dimen- 

 sions of a perfect storm; but drier air would also pass 

 in as fast as the pressure of the ocean of atmosphere 

 outside could force it, though the rapidity of inflow would 

 depend on a multitude of circumstances, one of the most 

 important of which would be the rapidity with which the 

 illuminated chlorophyll-corpuscles were decomposing the 

 carbon-dioxide and setting free oxygen, and again differ- 

 ences of atmospheric pressure, saturation, temperature, &c., 

 in- and out-side the leaf would come into play. 



Of course it will be understood that these changes deal 

 with such small masses that the phenomena are almost 

 molecular; a point which must also be considered in 

 relation to the size of the traveller. 



In addition to the bombardments of the rushing mole- 

 cules, our traveller in the passages would also probably 

 perceive violent explosions in the cells as molecule after 

 molecule of carbon -dioxide was torn asunder by the 

 chlorophyll-machinery, and would feel or see the walls 

 of the cells heaving in huge oscillations as the moving 

 protoplasmic contents and cell-sap surged under the stress 

 of the chemical forces at work, or of the physical dis- 

 placements due to the rupture of the molecules and the 



