180 Professor Dickson on the 



The closeness of the parallel which may be drawn 

 between this structure and the ascidium-leaf of Nepenthes 

 will be at once apparent ; and, although analogical reason- 

 ing of this kind must be employed with caution, it seems 

 highly probable that in Nepenthes we have to deal with a 

 leaf the lamina of which is interrupted in the middle of its 

 course by becoming reduced to its midrib, and that, wdiile 

 the proximal portion of tlie lamina retains its typical form 

 of a flat expansion, the distal portion becomes peltately ex- 

 panded into a funnel or pitcher. 



In the Croton leaves just referred to, it is to be noted 

 that the proximal expansion, while sometimes simply 

 narrowed into the attenuated portion, as in Plate VI. fig. 1, 

 is more frequently developed towards its extremity in a 

 peltate manner, so that the midrib appears as excurrent 

 from the lower leaf-surface, as in Plate VI. fig. 2. This 

 latter case is of special interest inasmuch as a similar pelta- 

 tion towards the extremity of the proximal expansion occurs 

 in many of the leaves of Nepenthes phyllamphora, and forms 

 one of the specific characters of Hooker's magnificent N. 

 Rajah. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate V. — a = Leaf-apex. Z = Pitclier-lid. 7Z=" Lateral line." 

 7ntZ?/7 = Middle dorsal wing. Zw = Lateral wing. yjicZZ = Middle 

 dorsal tooth of corrugated rim. 



Fig. 1. ^N'ormal foliage leaf of Ceplialotus. 



Fig. 2. Specimen A. Leaf with spoon-like excavation on upper 

 leaf-surface. 



Fig. 3. Specimen B. Leaf funnel shaped, with small tooth-like 

 rudiment of pitclier-lid on the near side of the orifice of the funnel. 



Fig. 4. Specimen C. Leaf funnel-shaped. Eudiment of pitcher- 

 lid 3-lohed. 



Fig. 5. Specimen D. Leaf funnel-shaped. Eudiment of pitcher- 

 lid 2-lohed. Nearly side view. 



Fig. 5 {a). Nearly dorsal view of same specimen. Middle dorsal 

 wing seen with its tip coincident with the leaf -apex. 



Fig. 6. Normal Ascidium-leaf, placed, with petiole nearly vertical, 

 for comparison with the funnel-shaped abnormalities and with the 

 accompanying figure of the petal of Aconitum. If the ascidium- 

 leaf be compared with the funnel-shaped specimens, and the position 

 of the "lateral lines" (Z/) be noted, it will be evident that the 



