AGGREGATION IN THE TENTACLES OF DROSERA. 313 



transmission of peculiar stimuli. It is not, therefore, sur- 

 prising that a different forin of protoplasm should be found 

 in them. The origin of chlorophyll bodies in the vegetable 

 cell is quite in accordance -with Professor Strasburger's view; 

 for, as Sachs remarks,' " the process may be supposed to 

 take place by very small particles of a somewhat different 

 nature originally existing in or being distributed through the 

 previously homogeneous protoplasm, then collecting at defi- 

 nite places, and appearing as separate masses." It must be 

 noted that this process accords strictly with the principle of 

 " division of labour." In certain vegetable cells the chloro- 

 phyll is uniformly disseminated2, and not collected into 

 chlorophyll bodies. This appears to show that the power 

 of junctioning in a given manner may, in some cases, be 

 localised, in others disseminated. 



The disappearance of a nucleus (in Peziza) by its substance 

 being "distributed through that of the protoplasm"^ seems 

 to point to the same possibility. In some cases the proto- 

 plasm of a cell is " tinged by a colouring matter 



which is not present in the cell-sap."* It is, therefore, not 

 impossible that this should be the case in Drosera. 



The following observation seems to show that in Drosera 

 the crimson colouring matter is not in the cell-sap. Kiihne 

 states^ that when a cell in a Tradescantia-hair dies, the dead 

 protoplasmic network absorbs the purple cell-sap, and be- 

 comes in this way stained. Now, in the case of Drosera no 

 such appearance has been observed either by my father or 

 myself. When a cell dies the colour fades away from the 

 crimson cell-contents, and nothing but a dingy mass of gra- 

 nular debris remains ; this seems to show that the colour is 

 not in the same state as in Tradescanlia, but that it is in 

 intimate connection with something living. It should be 

 observed, however, that the colour is in no^way essential to 

 the process of aggregation, as it oocurs in almost colourless 

 or light-green tentacles. 



The general aspect of the phenomena in reference to the 

 two theories above mentioned having been considered, a few 

 of the details will be examined in the same manner. 



The physical condition of the masses varies with the 

 stage of aggregation in which they are. The process com- 

 mences by the cells becoming " slightly cloudy from the for- 



1 ' Handbook,' p. 45. 



2 Sachs, p. 46. 



3 Sachs, p. 11. 



* Sachs, ' Handbook,' p. 40. 



6 ' Das Protoplasma,' 1864, p. 94, 



