302 DION^A MUSCirULA. CHAP. XIII. 



^ broad; the leaf was then made to close. It was cut open 

 after 45 hrs. The albumen was hard and compressed, with 

 its angles only a little rounded ; the gelatine was corroded into 

 an oval form ; and both were bathed in so much acid secretion 

 that it dropped off the leaf. The digestive process apparently 

 is rather slower than in Drosera, and this agrees with the length 

 of time during which the leaves remain closed over digestible 

 objects. 



Experiment 2. A bit of albumen -^ of an inch square, but 

 only -^5 in thickness, and a piece of gelatine of the same size as 

 before, were placed on a leaf, which eight days afterwards was 

 cut open. The surface was bathed with slightly adhesive, very 

 acid secretion, and the glands were all in an aggregated condi- 

 tion. Not a vestige of the albumen or gelatine was left. Simi- 

 larly sized pieces were placed at the same time on wet moss on 

 the same pot, so that they were subjected to nearly similar con- 

 ditions ; after eight days these were brown, decayed, and matted 

 with fibres of mould, but had not disappeared. 



J:'.>-per iment 3. A piece of albumen -^ of an inch (3'81 mm./ 

 long, and -^ broad and thick, and a piece of gelatine of the 

 same size as before, were placed on another leaf, which was cni 

 open after seven days; not a vestige of either substance was 

 left, and only a moderate amount of secretion on the surface. 



Experiment 4. Pieces of albumen and gelatine, of the same 

 size as in the last experiment, were placed on a leaf, which 

 spontaneously opened after twelve days, and here again not a 

 vestige of either was left, and only a little secretion at one end 

 of the midrib. 



Experiment 5. Pieces of albumen and gelatine of the same 

 size were placed on another leaf, which after twelve days was 

 still firmly closed, but had begun to wither ; it was cut open, 

 and contained nothing except a vestige of brown matter where 

 the albumen had lain. 



Experiment 6. A cube of albumen of -^ of an inch and a 

 piece of gelatine of the same size as before were placed on a 

 leaf, which opened spontaneously after thirteen days. The 

 albumen, which was twice as thick as in the latter experiments, 

 was too large ; for the glands in contact with it were injured 

 and were dropping off; a film also of albumen of a brown 

 colour, matted with mould, was left. All the gelatine was 

 absorbed, and there was only a little acid secretion left on 

 the midrib. 



Experiment 7. A bit of half roasted meat (not measured) and 

 a bit of gelatine were placed on the two ends of a leaf, which 



