162 W. H. GlLBUr.T ON THE 



and remarkable glands. They differ in three important respects 

 from any yet described. A sectional view of a small portion of the 

 glandular surface of N. chehoni is given in Fig. 12. 



All the glands we have hitherto treated of are imbedded ; these 

 project entirely above the surface. They are also over-arched by a 

 canopy crescentic in form, and have each of them direct communica- 

 tion- with a twig of the vascular system. The arrangement of the 

 position of these glands is quite irregular and unsymmetrical. The 

 canoj^ies or hoods, however, of those nearest the mouth of the 

 pitcher, cover the glands more completely than do those lower down, 

 while at the base the glands are wholly exposed ; the one figured 

 shows the relation of hood to gland about midway between tlie 

 two extremes. 



The glands vary very much in size, and are composed of five or 

 six layers of thin-walled cells without intercellular spaces. The 

 cells of the superficial layer have their longest diameter at right 

 angles to the surface, those of the next layer are about equal in all 

 directions, while those beneath are flattened horizontally, and have 

 walls of extreme thinness. At the base of the gland are generally 

 to be seen one or two spirally-marked cells, in a group of which the 

 vascular twig always terminates. 



Nepenthes has a true digestion, and in some species the fluid 

 secreted is extremely active. 



We must now return to a consideration of the so-called inter- 

 cellular canals. 



Dr. Tait, speaking of the pitcher of N. Rafflesiana, says : — 

 *' The epidermal surface is composed of irregularly polygonal cells, 

 which in the young pitcher are regularly nucleated ; between these 

 run continuous interspaces, forming a network over the whole 

 surface. On the surface of the hoods the cells are elongated, and 

 the spaces run up between them at right angles to the lip of the 

 hood, where a canal seems to run, into which they all enter." 

 ** The stream of protoplasm in the canals can occasionally be seen 

 broken, and in such a state the reality of their canalicular structure 

 can be demonstrated." In another place he says : — " In a few 

 cases I have seen appearances as if the intercellular canals had 

 direct communication with the spiral tissue." " Examination by 

 high immersion i)o\ver has convinced me that these intercellular 

 canals are really walled, and that they contain streams of colourless 

 protoplasm which is in a state of slow movement." 



