218 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. Chap. IX. 



rendered for a time insensible to the action of raw meat, bnt 

 sometimes are not thus affected, or in a very slight degi-ee. A 

 plant recovers from a small dose, but is easily killed by a larger 

 one. 



A plant was left for 30 m. under a bell-glass holding 

 19 fluid oz. (539-6 ml.) with eight drops of chloroform, and 

 before the cover was removed, most of the tentacles became 

 much inflected, though they did not reach the centre. After 

 the cover was removed, bits of meat were placed on the glands 

 of several of the somewhat incurved tentacles; these glands 

 were found much blackened after 6 hrs. 30 m., but no further 

 movement ensued. After 21 hrs. the leaves appeared almost 

 dead. 



A smaller bell-glass, holding 12 fluid oz. (340-8 ml.), was now 

 employed, and a plant was left for 90 s. under it, with only 

 two drops of chloroform. Immediately on the removal of the 

 glass all the tentacles curved inwards so as to stand perpen- 

 dicularly up ; and some of them could actually be seen moving 

 with extraordinary quickness by little starts, and therefore in 

 an unnatural manner; but they never reached the centre. 

 After 22 hrs. they fully re-expanded, and on meat being placed 

 on' their glands', or when roughly touched by a needle, they 

 promptly became inflected; so that these leaves had not been 

 in the least injured. 



Another plant was placed Tinder the same small bell-glass 

 with three drops of chloroform, and before two minutes had 

 elapsed, the tentacles began to curl inwards with rapid little 

 jerks. The glass was then removed, and in the coui'se of two 

 or three additional minutes almost every tentacle reached the 

 centre. On. several other occasions the vapour did not excite 

 any movement of this kind. 



There seems also to be great variability in the degree and 

 manner in which chloroform renders the glands insensible to the 

 subsequent action of meat. In the plant last referred to, which 

 had been exposed for 2 m. to three drops of chloroform, some 

 few tentacles curved up only to a perpendicular position, and 

 particles of meat were placed on their glands; this caused 

 them in 5 m. to begin moving, but they moved so slowly that 

 they did not reach the centre until 1 hr. 30 m. had elapsed. 

 Another plant was similarly exposed, that is, for 2 m. to three 

 drops of chloroform, and on particles of meat being placed on 

 the glands of several tentacles, which had curved up into a 

 perpendicular position, one of these began to bend in 8 m., but 

 afterwards moved very slowly ; whilst none of the other tentacles 



