ELECTRIC RESPONSE IN PLANTS an 
culminating in death, soon became visually evident. 
The leaves began to droop, a peculiar death-discoloura- 
tion began to spread from the mid rib along the 
venation of the leaves. Another peculiarity was also 
observed. The aphides feeding on the leaves died even 
before the appearance of the discoloured patches, 
whereas on the leaves of the stalks placed in water 
these little creatures maintained their accustomed acti- 
vity, nor did any discolouration occur. In order to 
study the effect of poison, another set was placed in 
water containing a small quantity of mercuric chloride. 
The leaves here underwent the same change of appear- 
ance, and the aphides met with the same untimely fate, 
as in the case of those subjected to the action of 
chloroform. There was hardly any visible change in 
the appearance of the stalks themselves, which were to 
all outer seeming as living as ever, indications of death 
being apparent only on the leaf surfaces. I give below 
the results of several sets of experiments, from which it 
would appear that whereas there was strong normal 
response in the group of stalks kept in water, there was 
practically a total abolition of all response in those 
ansesthetised or poisoned. 
Experiments on the effect of anzsthetics and poisons. 
A batch of ten leaf-stalks of plane-tree was placed with 
the cut ends in water, and leaves in air; an equal 
number was immersed in chloroform-water; a third batch 
was placed in 5 per cent. solution of mercuric chloride. 
Similarly a batch of three horse-chestnut leaf-stalks 
was put in water, another batch in chloroform-water, 
and a third batch in mercuric chloride solution. 
