104 DROSEEA ROTUNDIFOLIA. Chap. VI. 



say that cubes of the same cartilage, kept in water 

 for the same length of time, were not in the least 

 aflected. 



During a more favourable season, moderately sized 

 bits of the skinned ear of a cat, which includes 

 cartilage, areolar and elastic tissue, were placed on 

 three leayes. Some of the glands were touched with 

 saliva, which caused prompt inflection. Two of the 

 leaves began to re-expand after three days, and the 

 third on the fifth day. The fluid residue left on 

 their discs was now examined, and consisted in one 

 case of perfectly transparent, viscid matter ; in the 

 other two cases, it contained some elastic tissue and 

 apparently remnants of half digested areolar tissue. 



Fibro-cartilage (from between the vertebrae of the 

 tail of a sheep). Moderately sized and small bits 

 (the latter about -^ of an inch) were placed on nine 

 leaves. Some of these were well and some very little 

 inflected. In the latter case the bits were dragged 

 over the discs, so that they were well bedaubed 

 with the secretion, and many glands thus irritated. 

 All the leaves re-expanded after only two days ; so 

 that they were but little excited by this substance. 

 The bits were not liquefied, but were certainly in an 

 altered condition, being swollen, much more trans- 

 parent, and so tender as to disintegrate very easily. 

 My son Francis prepared some artificial gastric juice, 

 which was proved efficient by quickly dissolving 

 fibrin, and suspended portions of the fibro-cartilage 

 in it. These swelled and became hyaline, exactly like 

 those exposed to the secretion of Drosera, but were 

 not dissolved. This result surprised me much, as 

 two physiologists were of opinion that fibro-cartilage 

 would be easily digested by gastric juice. I there- 

 fore asked Dr, Klein to examine the specimens ; and 



