CHAP. VI. DIGESTION. 101 



drops of hydrochloric acid (one part to 437 of 

 water) were added ; this seemed to hasten tho process 

 of digestion, for on one leaf all was liquefied and 

 absorbed after 20 hrs. ; but on the three other leaves 

 some undissolved residue was left after 48 hrs. It 

 is remarkable that in all the above and following 

 experiments, as well as when much larger bits of 

 fibrin were used, the leaves were very little excited ; 

 and it was sometimes necessary to add a little saliva 

 to induce complete inflection. The leaves, moreover, 

 began to re-expand after only 48 hrs., whereas they 

 would have remained inflected for a much longer 

 time had insects, meat, cartilage, albumen, &c., been 

 placed on them. 



I then tried some pure white fibrin, sent me by Dr. 

 Burdon Sanderson. 



Experiment 1. Two particles, barely ^ of an inch (T27 mm.) 

 square, were placed on opposite sides of the same leaf. One of 

 these did not excite the surrounding tentacles, and the gland 

 on which it rested soon dried. The other particle caused a few 

 of the short adjoining tentacles to be inflected, the more distant 

 ones not being affected. After 24 hrs. both were almost, and 

 after 72 hrs. completely, dissolved. 



Experiment 2. The same experiment with the same result, 

 only one of the two bits of fibrin exciting the short surround- 

 ing tentacles. This bit was so slowly acted on that after a 

 day I pushed it on to some fresh glands. In three days from 

 the time when it was first placed on the leaf it was completely 

 dissolved. 



Experiment 3. Bits of fibrin of about the same size as before 

 were placed on the discs of two leaves ; these caused very little 

 inflection in 23 hrs , but after 48 hrs. both were well clasped by 

 the surrounding short tentacles, and after an additional 24 hrs. 

 were completely dissolved. On the disc of one of these leaves 

 much clear acid fluid was left. 



Experiment 4. Similar bits of fibrin were placed on the discs 

 of two leaves ; as after 2 hrs. the glands seemed rather dry, 

 they were freely moistened with saliva ; this soon caused 

 strong inflection both of the tentacles and blades, with copioua 



