280 DKOSERA SPATHULATA. Chap. XII. 



which is bluntly pointed and reflexed. They rise from an almost 

 woody axis, and their greatest peculiarity consists in their 

 foliaceous green footstalks, which are almost as broad and even 

 longer than the gland-bearing blade. This species, therefore, 

 probably draws more nourishment from the air, and less^ from 

 captured insects, than the other species of the genus. Never- 

 theless, the tentacles are crowded together on the disc, and are 

 extremely numerous ; those on the margins being much longer 

 than the central ones. All the glands have the same form ; their 

 secretion is extremely viscid and acid. - 



The specimen which I examined had only just recovered from 

 a weak state of health. This may account for the tentacles 

 moving very slowly when particles of meat were placed on the 

 glands, and perhaps for my never succeeding in causing any 

 movement by repeatedly touching them with a needle. But 

 with all the species of the genus this latter stimulus is the least 

 effective of any. Particles of glass, cork, and coal-cinders, were 

 placed on the glands of six tentacles ; and one alone moved after 

 an interval of 2 hrs. 30 m. Nevertheless, two glands were ex- 

 tremely sensitive to very small doses of the nitrate of ammonia, 

 namely to about -^^ of a minim of a solution (one part to 5250 

 of water), containing only yy-Voo ^f a grain (•000562 mg.) of 

 the salt. Fragments of flies were placed on two leaves near their 

 tips, which became incurved in 15 hrs. A fly was also placed in 

 the middle of the leaf ; in a few hours the tentacles on each side 

 embraced it, and in 8 hrs. the whole leaf directly beneath the 

 fly was a little bent transversely. By the next morning, after 

 23 hrs., the leaf was curled so completely over that the apex 

 rested on the upper end of the footstalk. In no case did the 

 sides of the leaves become inflected. A crushed fly was placed 

 on the foliaceous footstalk, but produced no effect. 

 ■ Brosera spathulata (sent to me by Dr. Hooker). — I made only a 

 few observations on this Australian species, which has long, 

 narrow leaves, gradually widening towards their tips. The 

 glands of the extreme marginal tentacles are elongated and differ 

 from the others, as in the case of Drosera rotundifoLia. A fly was 

 placed on a leaf, and in 18 hrs. it was embraced by the adjoining 

 tentacles. Gum-water dropped on several leaves produced no 

 effect. A fragment of a leaf was immersed in a few drops of a 

 solution of one part of carbonate of ammonia to 146 of water ; ' 

 all the glands were instantly blackened ; the process of aggrega- 

 tion could be seen travelling rapidly down the cells of the ten- 

 tacles ; and the granules of protoplasm soon united into spheres 

 and variously shaped masses, which displayed the usual move- 



