206 DROSEKA ROTUNDIFOLIA. CIIAP. LX 



sometimes did not do so. At one time I felt convinced that 

 morphia acted as a narcotic on Drosera, but after having found 

 in what a singular manner immersion in certain non-poisonous 

 salts and acids prevents the subsequent action of phosphate of 

 ammonia, whereas other solutions have no such power, my 

 first conviction seems very doubtful. 



Extract of Hyoscynmus. Several leaves were placed, each in 

 thirty minims of an infusion of 3 grs. of the extract sold by 

 druggists to 1 oz. of water. One of them, after being immersed 

 for 5 hrs. 15 m., was not inflected, and was then put into a 

 solution (1 gr. to 1 oz.) of carbonate of ammonia ; after 2 hrs. 

 40 m. it was found considerably inflected, and the glands 

 much blackened. Four of the leaves, after being immersed for 

 2 hrs. 14 m., were placed in 120 minims of a solution (1 gr. to 

 20 oz.) of phosphate of ammonia; they had already become 

 slightly inflected from the hyoscyamus, probably owing to the 

 presence of some albuminous matter, as formerly explained, 

 but the inflection immediately increased, and after 1 hr. was 

 strongly pronounced ; so that hyoscyamus does not act as a 

 narcotic or poison. 



Poison from the Fang of a Living Adder. Minute drops were 

 placed on the glands of many tentacles; these were quickly 

 inflected, just as if saliva had been given them. Next morning, 

 after 17 hrs. 30 m., all were beginning to re-expand, and they 

 appeared uninjured. 



Poison from the Cobra. Dr. Fayrer, well known from his 

 investigations on the poison of this deadly snake, was so kind 

 as to give me some in a dried state. It is an albuminous 

 substance, and is believed to replace the ptyaline of saliva. * A 

 minute drop (about -^ of a minim) of a solution of one part to 

 437 of water was applied to the secretion round four glands ; so 

 that each received only about 38 i 00 of a grain ('0016 nig.). Tho 

 operation was repeated on four other glands; and in 15 m. 

 several of the eight tentacles became well inflected, and all of 

 them in 2 hrs. Next morning, after 24 hrs., they were still 

 inflected, and the glands of a very pale pink colour. After an 

 additional 24 hrs. they were nearly re-expanded, and completely 

 so on the succeeding day; but most of the glands remained 

 almost white. 



Half-minims of the same solution were placed on the discs ol 

 three leaves, so that each received r L_ O f a grain ('0675 mg.) ; in 



Dr. Fayrer, ' The Thanatophidia of India,' 1872, p. 150 



