32 



them Utricularia neglecta, Vulgaris, minor, Clandestina, &c., and 

 gives the results of experiments as well as diagrams of the bladders 

 which offer the chief point of interest. Having been furnished 

 some time back by Mr. Dean, of St. Petcr's-street, Canterbury, 

 with a specimen of what I believe to be " Utricularia niinoi"," I 

 placed it in a small aquarium with river water, in which duck weed 

 and other aquatic plants were growing, and it has increased con- 

 siderably since then. Mr. Darwin's remarks on this species are as 

 follows: — Ihis rare species was sent me in a living state from 

 Cheshire. The leaves and bladders are much smaller than those of 

 " Utricularia neglecta." The leaves bear fewer and shorter bris- 

 tles, and the bladders are more globular. 'J he antennae instead of 

 projecting in front of the bladders are curled under the valve, and 

 are armed with twelve or fourteen extremely long multicellular 

 bristles, generally arranged in pairs. These, with seven or eight 

 long bristles on both sides of the peristome, form a sor#of net 

 over the valve, which would tend to prevent all animals, excepting 

 very small ones, entering the bladder. The valve and collar of the 

 bladder have the same essential structure as in Utricularia neglecta 

 and vulgaris ; but the glands are not quite so numerous ; the oblong 

 ones are rather more elongated, whilst the two-armed ones are 

 rather less elongated. The four bristles which project obliquely 

 from the lower edge of the valve are short Their shortness, com- 

 pared with those on the valves of the two species mentioned above, 

 is intelligible if my view is correct that they serve to prevent too 

 large animals forcing an entrance through the valve, thus injuring 

 it ; for the valve is already protected to a certain extent by the 

 incurved antennae, together with the lateral bristles, 'i'he bifid 

 processes are like those in the above mentioned species, but the 

 quadrifids differ in the four arms being directed to the same side ; 

 the two longer ones being central, and the two shorter ones on the 

 outside." Mr. Darwin further remarks, " that the prey found in 

 the bladders consists exclusively of fresh water crustaceans. In 

 one bladder the quadrifids in contact with a decaying mass con- 

 tained numerous spheres of granular matter, which slowly changed 

 tlieir forms and positions." 



The specimen of the above plant which I bring to the notice of 

 the members this evening was, as I have before said, given me by 

 Mr. Dean. He procured it, I believe, in the vicinity of Grove 

 Ferry, but it is also met with near Sandwich. It will be observed 

 that the bladders contain small crustaceans in various stages of 

 decay. To satisfy myself on this point I opened out one or two of 

 them on a glass slide and examined their contents under the 

 microscope, when, sure enough, the skeletons of these animals 

 plainly appeared. These slides I have brought with me this even- 

 ing, and any members may satisfy themselves as to the nature of 

 the contents. 



