Chap. XV. CONCLUDING REMARKS. 341 



were then pushed on to the sessile glands. One shred, 

 after 2 hrs. 30 m., seemed quite dissolved, but this may 

 have been a mistake. A second, when examined after 

 17 hrs. 25 m., was liquefied, but the liquid as seen 

 under the microscope still contained floating granules 

 of fibrin. The other two shreds were completely 

 liquefied after 21 hrs. 30 m. ; but in one of the drops 

 a very few granules could still be detected. These, 

 however, were dissolved after an additional interval 

 of 6 hrs. 30 m. ; and the surface of the leaf for some 

 distance all round was covered wdth limpid fluid. It 

 thus appears that Drosophyllum digests albumen 

 and fibrin rather more quickly than Drosera can ; 

 and this may perhaps be attributed to the acid, 

 together probably with some small amount of the 

 ferment, being present in the secretion, before the 

 glands have been stimulated ; so that digestion begins 

 at once. 



Concluding BemarJcs. — The linear leaves of Droso- 

 phyllum differ but slightly from those of certain 

 species of Drosera ; the chief differences being, firstly, 

 the presence of minute, almost sessile, glands, which, 

 like those of Dionsea, do not secrete until they are 

 excited by the absorption of nitrogenous matter. But 

 glands of this kind are present on the leaves of 

 Drosera hinafa, and appear to be represented by the 

 papilloG on the leaves of Drosera rotundifolia. Secondly, 

 the presence of tentacles on the backs of the leaves ; 

 but we have seen that a few tentacles, irregularly placed 

 and tending towards abortion, are retained on the 

 backs of the leaves of Di'-osera hinata. There are 

 greater difl'erences in function between the two ge- 

 nera. The most important one is that the tentacles 

 of Drosophyllum have no power of movement; this 

 loss being partially replaced by the drops of viscid 



