114 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Oct. 



possibility of some kind of system in plants analogous to the 

 nervous system in animals, but simply regard them as in- 

 voluntary, spontaneous, natural responses. In animals we term 

 such actions instinctive for the reason that we can observe the 

 working of a brain power, and knowing the function we are 

 satisfied that they are instinctive. People who are familiar with 

 the growth of plants in rooms have had occasion to observe 

 their desire to turn to the light. Thus they are enabled to make 

 the best of the unnatural condiiions; they must indeed succeed 

 in obtaining as much light as possible, or they will die. What 

 compels the plant to this action? Grain that has been laid flat 

 on the ground after a storm, or heavy rain, will begin to grow 

 erect after a few hours, and, under normal circumstances, it will 

 "get up" sufficiently to produce its seeds. The sole object of 

 grain is to produce seeds, and the plants endeavor to perform 

 this purpose at all costs. When examining grain that is rising 

 up again we notice that the stem bends in the nodes until it is 

 quite erect. The nodes here act similarly to the joints in animals. 

 Physiologically this is simply an expansion and contraction of 

 certain cells in the nodes. Nature, I presume, is responsible 

 for this function? Climbing plants {Wisteria, Hede^'a, etc.), send 

 out their flower-bearing shoots far beyond the shade of their 

 leaves, and if prevented in this movement by a repeated tucking 

 of these shoots underneath others, the plant will postpone the 

 opening of the flowers for a considerable time until it succeeds 

 in getting towards the light ; if, however, continued, the flowers 

 will eventually open, the plant doing then its utmost to become 

 fertilized. These movements in plants which are often strongly 

 perceptible, make the observer realize that they serve some 

 purpose, and this action to fulfill a set aim is simply natural. 

 Is it? The plant growing towards the light, the grain "getting 

 up" after a storm, both to escape destruction, the climbing 

 plants anxiously endeavouring to become fertilized, are these 

 merely physiological functions, or are they instinctive? Is this 

 really wonderful or is it simply nature? But why then are 

 similar functions in man and animals, intellect or instinct, not 

 simply nature? Nature then is the motive in plants which 

 performs wonderfully intelligent feats as they are not capable 

 of reasoning? We have often seen recorded most surprising feats 

 performed by domesticated and wild animals in their search after 

 food. Now consider for a moment the germinating Cuscuta. 

 The coil contained in the seed pushes to the surface when germi- 

 nating and the top revolves slowly, snake like, erect, until it 

 spies a suitable host plant to which it may attach itself and find 

 food ready and available upon which to maintain itself. This 

 arasitic plant finds no food in the soil and must succeed in 



