310 PINQUICULA VULGARIS. [Ciup. XVI. 



(4) Small cubes of albumen were placed on a leaf; in R hns. 

 feebly acid secretion extended to a distance of nearly -^ of an inch 

 round them, and the angles of one cube were rounded. After 24 

 hrs. the angles of all the cubes were rounded, and they were ren- 

 dere<l throughout very tender; after 30 hrs. the secretion began to 

 decrease, and after 48 hrs. the glands were left dry; but very 

 minute bits of albumen were still left undissolved. 



(5) Smaller cubes of albuimn (about -^ or -^ ol an inch, .508 

 or .423 nmi.) were placed on four glands; after 18 hrs. one cube 

 was completely dissolved, the others being much reduced in size, 

 softened and transparent. After 24 hrs. two of the cubes were 

 completely dissolved, and already the secretion on these glands was 

 almost wholly absorbed. After 42 hrs. the two other cubes were 

 completely dissolved. These four glands began to secrete again 

 after eight or nine days. 



(0) Two large cubes of albumen (fully ^ of an inch, 1.27 mm.) 

 were placed, one near the midrib and the other near the margin 

 of a leaf; in hrs. there was much secretion, which after 48 hrs. 

 accumulated in a little pool round the cube near the margin. This 

 cube was much more dissolved than that on the blade of the leaf; 

 so that after three days it was greatly reduced in size, with all the 

 angles rounded, but it was too large to be wholly dissolved. The 

 secretion was pailially absorbed after four days. The cube on the 

 blade was much less retluced, and the glands on which it rested 

 began to dry after only two days. 



(7) Fibrin excites less -secretion than does meat or albumen. 

 Several trials were made, but I will give only three of them. Two 

 minute threads were placed on some glands, and in 3 hrs. 45 m. 

 their secretion was plainly increased. The smaller shred of the 

 two was completely liquefled in 6 hrs. 15 m., and the other in 24 

 hrs.; but even after 48 hrs. a few granules of fibrin could still be 

 seen through a lens floating in both drops of secretion. After 56 

 hrs. 30 m. these granules were completely dissolved. A third 

 shred was placed in a little pool of secretion, within the margin 

 of a leaf where a seed had been lying, and this was completely 

 dissolved in the course of 15 hrs. 30 m. 



(8) Five very small bits of gluten were placed on a leaf, and 

 they excited so much secretion that one of the bits glide<l down 

 into the marginal furrow. After a day all five bits seemed much 

 reduce<l in size, but none were wholly dissolved. On the third 

 day I pushed two of them which had begun to dry, on to fresh 

 glands. On the fourth day undissolved traces of three out of the 

 five bits could still l>e detectwl, the other two having quite disap- 

 peare<l; but I am doubtful whether they had reolly l)een i-omplete- 

 ly dissolved. Two fresh bits were now place<l, one near the mid- 

 dle and the other near the margin of another leaf; l)oth excited 

 an extraordinary amount of secretion; that near the margin had 

 a little pool formed round it, and was much more re<luce<l in size than 

 that on the blade, but after four days was not completely dis- 

 solved. Gluten, therefore, excites the glands greati}', but is dis- 

 solved with much diiliculty, exactly as in the caxe of Drosera. I 



