Miscellaneous. 439 



Receiver-general of Finances. It is therefore probably derived either 

 from Southern xVrabia or from the opposite coast of Africa — that is 

 to say, Nubia or Abyssinia. Unfortunately, M. Imhaus could not 

 obtain from the owner of the animal any information that might 

 serve to elucidate this question. — Comptes Rcmlus, April 22, 1867, 

 pp. 812-814. 



On the Spontaneous Movements of Colocasia csculenta. 

 By H. LECoa. 



There are few plants tlie organs of which do not spontaneously 

 execute various movements : and here we distinguish these move- 

 ments from those which are the result of some jjrovocation, and 

 which botanists designate under the name o'i irritability. Most of 

 the s})ontaneous movements are due to the more or less rapid evolu- 

 tion of the organs, and the eye cannot follow them. We osdy know 

 Iledysarum yyrans in which the leaves, or rather the two lateral 

 leaflets, are endowed with regular movements visible at all times. 

 I can add a new example of spontaneous oscillation, which was pre- 

 sented to me by Colocasia esculenta, Schott. 



On the 13th January last, in passing through my stove, I thought 

 I observed a slight movement in a leaf of Colocasia. I ascribed it 

 at first to the displacement of the air by my passage ; but a more 

 careful examination proved to me that tlie movement occurred not 

 only in the leaf which I had noticed, but also in four other leaves, 

 the plant having only five in all. One leaf, smaller than the others, 

 and at least one year old, was agitated like the younger ones. The 

 movement was, in all, a sort of regular trembling, and was so sensi- 

 ble that the leaves of Colocasia communicated it to the neighbouring 

 plants. 



Every day after the 13th January, I carefully observed this plant 

 of Colocasia, the only one in my stove, and noted the phases of its 

 agitation. Sometimes this agitation persisted night and day ; most 

 frequently it occurred from 9 o'clock to noon, and then became 

 weakened. The plant also had whole days, and even weeks of abso- 

 lute repose. It then occurred to me, in order that I might be warned 

 of the hours and periods of movement, to attach to my plant a cer- 

 tain number of little bells : these were not always sufficiently shaken 

 to make them sound, but never failed to give me notice of the great 

 crises. 



Thus on the 1 8th January the agitation commenced at 2 o'clock 

 A.M., and continued through a great part of the morning. The little 

 bells rang, and the leaves of the Colocasia struck upon the neigh- 

 bouring }>lants with sufficient force and distinctness to enable me, by 

 means cf a watch with a second-hand, to count the pulsations, 

 which were from 100 to 120 per minute. 



Several times I had the opportunity of witnessing violent fits of 

 shaking, — among others, on the 20th January and 2nd March. On 

 the latter day, in the morning, although the temperature of the stove 

 was lowered to 7° C. (=45°'r) F.), the agitation was considerable 



