232 DEOSERA KOTUNDIFOLIA. Chap. X. 



cases ; but this is not strictly true, for in three in- 

 stances a little syrup was added to the bits of raw 

 meat on the backs of leaves, in order to keep them 

 damp for a time ; and after 36 hrs. there was a trace 

 of reflexion in the tentacles of one leaf, and cer- 

 tainly in the blade of another. After twelve addi- 

 tional hours, the glands began to dry, and all three 

 leaves seemed much injured. Four leaves were then 

 placed under a bell-glass, with their footstalks in 

 water, with drops of syrup on their backs, but without 

 any meat. Two of these leaves, after a day, had a few 

 tentacles reflexed. The drops had now increfised con- 

 siderably in size, from having imbibed moisture, so 

 as to trickle down the backs of the tentacles and 

 footstalks. On the second day, one leaf had its 

 blade much reflexed; on the third day the tentacles 

 of two were much reflexed, as well as the blades of 

 all four to a greater or less degree. The upper side 

 of one leaf, instead of being, as at first, slightly 

 concave, now presented a strong convexity upwards. 

 Even on the fifth day the leaves did not appear dead. 

 Now, as sugar does not in the least excite Drosera, 

 we may safely attribute the reflexion of the blades 

 and tentacles of the above leaves to exosmose from 

 the cells which were in contact with the syrup, and 

 their consequent contraction. When drops of syrup 

 are placed on the leaves of plants with their roots still 

 in damp earth, no inflection ensues, for the roots, no 

 doubt, pump up water as quickly as it is lost by 

 exosmose. But if cut-off leaves are immersed in 

 syrup, or in any dense fluid, the tentacles are greatly, 

 though irregularly, inflected, some of them assuming 

 the shape of corkscrews ; and the leaves soon become 

 flaccid. If they are now immersed in a fluid of low 

 specific gravity, the tentacles re-expand. From these 



