1G4 DROSERA ROTUNDIPOLIA. [Chap. IX. 



inflection never increased. One of the leaves was taken out of 

 the solution after 4 hrs., and placed in water; by the next morn- 

 ing some few of the inflected tentacles had re-expanded, showing 

 that they were not dead, but the glands were still much discol- 

 oured. Another leaf not included in the above lot, after an immer- 

 sion of 3 hrs. 15 m., was carefully examined; the protoplasm in 

 the cells of the outer tentacles,, and of the short green ones on the 

 disc, had become strongly aggregated down to their bases; and I 

 distinctly saw that the Httle masses changed their positions and 

 shapes rather rapidly; some coalescing and again separating. I 

 was surprised at this fact, because quinine is said to arrest all 

 movement in the white corpuscles of the blood; but as, according 

 to liinz,' this is due to their being no longer sup])lied with o.xygen 

 by the red corpuscles, any such arrestment of movement could not 

 be expected in Drosera. That the glands had absorbed some of 

 the salt was evident from their change of colour; but I at first 

 thought that the solution might not have travelled down the cells 

 of the tentacles, where the protoplasm was seen in active move- 

 ment. This view, however, 1 have no doubt, is erroneous, for a 

 leaf which had been immersed for 3 hrs. in the quinine solution 

 was then placed in a little solution of one part of carbonate of am- 

 monia to 218 of water; and in 30 m. the glands and the upper- 

 cells of the tentacles became intensely black, with the protoplasm 

 presenting a very unusual appearance; for it had become aggre- 

 gated into reticulated dingy-coloured masses, having rounded and 

 angular interspaces. As I have never seen this effect produced by 

 the carbonate of ammonia alone, it nnist be attributed to the 

 previous action of the quinine. These reticulated masses were 

 watched for some time, but did not change their forms ; so that the 

 protoplasm no doubt had been killed by the combined action of 

 the two salts, though exposed to them for only a short time. 



Another leaf, after an immersion for 24 hrs. in the quinine so- 

 lution, became somewhat flaccid, and the protoplasm in all the 

 cells was aggregated. Many of the aggregated masses were dis- 

 coloured, and presente<l a granular appearance; they were spher- 

 ical, or elongated, or still more commonly consisted of little curved 

 chains of small globules. None of these masses exhibited the 

 least movement, and no doubt were all dead. 



Half-minims of the soluticm were placed on the discs of six 

 leaves; after 23 hrs. one had all its tentacles, two had a few, and 

 the others none inflected; so that the discal glands, when irritated 

 by this salt, do not transmit any strong motor impulse to the 

 outer tentacles. After 48 hrs. the glands on the discs of all six 

 leaves were evidently much injured or quite killed. It is clear that 

 this salt is highly poisonous.' 



' Quarterly Journal of Micro- onorpotlc poison to low vojretable 



scoplcnl Bclence,' April, 1874, p. ami nnlinal orjrMnlsins. Kven one 



IW. part nddod to 4tHX pnrfs of blood 



' Bins found several years ago arn'sta the niovcnuMits nt the 



(as stated In ' The Journal of white corpuscli's, wlilch become 



Anntoniy nnd Phys.,' November, " rounded and jinuiulnr." In the 



1872, p. li>5) that quluia Is au tentacles of Drusera the aggre- 



