DARWIN, 107 



In 1865 appeared another work from the Darwinian 

 treasury, but in this case it was at first restricted to the 

 Journal of the Linnean Society (vol. ix.), and was not 

 made generally available till the second edition was pub- 

 lished separately in 1875. "The Movements and Habits 

 of Climbing Plants" described in the first place the 

 twining of the hop plant, studied by night and day con- 

 tinuously, in a well-warmed room, to which the author 

 was confined by illness. Again and again were different 

 species of plants watched, and the periods in which their 

 shoots revolved noted. The clematises, tropceolums, 

 solanums, gloriosa lilies among leaf-climbing plants ; the 

 bignonias, cobreas, bryonies, vines, passion flowers, and 

 other tendril-bearing plants ; the ivy, and other root 

 and hook climbers were carefully studied ; and botanists 

 for the first time realised fully the advantages which 

 climbing plants possess in the struggle for existence. 

 The climbing faculty depends on a sensitiveness to con- 

 tact with any firm support, and a most interesting series 

 of modifications has probably, as Darwin suggests, led to 

 the present development of climbing organs, by the spon- 

 taneous movement of young shoots and other organs, 

 and by unequal growth. 



In concluding, the author made some most profoundly 

 suggestive remarks, which went far to revolutionise our 

 conception of plants. " It has often been vaguely 

 asserted that plants are distinguished from animals by not 

 having the power of movement. It should rather be 

 said that plants acquire and display this power only when 

 it is of some advantage to them ; this being of compara- 

 tively rare occurrence, as they are affixed to the ground, 



