





ArPEX DICES. 



133 



Exper,mwt VI.-The bfl and terminal portions of the solitary axis of , 

 carefully protected and the central portion was enclosed in a .pace oontaioji* the 



were 



vuj our o. 

 followed by death occurred in the | ive* of 



and became brown, whilst the leaves 

 position, from which they had dq.aitc 



ecu 



oouneo* 



been subjected, and retailed it unalter. 1 



after the central portion of the axis and its leaves had been cmpleteiy kilbd On .he Mowing day, 



been dead for many h 



es on the base! a I dittal 



portions were in normal diurnal position, and the application of heat to the base of the a*is wa, 



followed, not merely 



that 



\ 



bey 



central area, but I v 



as enclosed within a scaled chamber 



r r v U ^t, »« vui-M>Mfu wiiiuii a scaii-«i chamber oomaicir 



a vessel of strong sulphuric acid, so as to secure the occurrence of .-ontiiiiio* active transpire ry 



loss. 



when the leaves were in maximal diurnal 



JKIIS 



of cotton-wool saturated with chloroform was introduced info the dumber A , miphte Msttmptir 

 of the nocturnal position occurred within two hours, the movements leading to it bung of an insemillv 

 slow, progressive character. 



Experiment VIII.— A plant in s carefully waxed and luted pot, so ns to *e,,ire maximal 

 transpiratory loss, and whilst the leaves were in full diurnal position, was suddenly introduced into a 

 chamber, containing vessels of both strong sulphuric acid and chloroform. A (tor a brinf interval 

 numerous pinnules in several leaves underwent sudden, rapid elevation. The pot was now ren v*l 



from the chamber, and, whtn all the pinnules were 



lrnal position, was again 



introduced into the chamber. After a considerable interval had elapsed, numerous pinnules became 

 abruptly elevated throughout almost all the pinnae of all the leaves, but no depression of the primary 

 petiole occurred in any case. 



Experiment IX.— A plant in a luted pot, and with its leaves in maximal diurnal position, was 

 suddenly introduced into a chamber like that employed in the previous experiment. After an interval 

 of about half a minute, rapid spreading elevation of the pinnules set in in many pinn*. The 

 elevation was, however, incompletely carried out. No depression whatever occurred in any of the 

 primary petioles. 



Experiment X. — A pot-plant, luted in the usual fashion for experiments on transpiration, was 

 introduced into a sealed chamber containing vessels of chloroform and of water. No rapid action 

 whatever occurred; but merely very slow, insensibly progressive elevation of the pinnules. After it had 

 remained within the chamber fir a short time it was removed and, after the pinnules had complete! v 

 recovered their normal diurnal position, introduced into a sealed chamber containing vessels of 

 chloroform and of pure sulphuric acid. Rapid movements of elevation presently occurred in a numb* r 

 of pinnules, and, after an interval, the primary petiole of the uppermost leaf, the pinnules of which 

 were stiil in a condition of permanent elevation, underwent rapid depression. 



Experiment XL — A pot- plant, luted as usual and with its leaves abundantly bedecked with 

 adherent drops of rain, was introduced into a sealed chamber containing vessels of ohlorofoim and 

 of sulphuric acid. After an interval of fifty seconds some pinnules in one leaf became relatively 

 slowly and partially elevated, and after a further interval of two minutes all the pinnules of one pinna 

 of another leaf acted in a similar fashion. Elsewhere only slow, insensib'y progressive [annular elevation 

 occurred. 



The results of this series of experiments clearly demonstrate the following facts: 



I. — Exposure to the influence of anaesthetics under certain circumstances is attended by the 



occurrence of movements of precisely the same character as those which are ordinarily 

 regarded as depending on stimulation and active contraction of the protoplasts 

 of the motor organs. 

 II.— -The rate at which movements occur under the influence of exposure to the vapour of 



chloroform varies with the degree to which facilities for the rapid transpiratory 

 removal of water from the tissues are present. 



Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta Vol. VL 



