30 Life and Immortality. 



excited, send back some other influence, dependent neither 

 on increased secretion nor on the inflection of the tentacles, 

 which causes the protoplasm to aggregate in cell beneath cell. 

 This may be called a reflex action. How it differs from that 

 which proceeds from the nerve-ganglion of an animal, if it 

 differ at all, no one can say. It is probably the only known 

 case of reflex action in the vegetable kingdom. 



Concerning the mechanism of the movements and the 

 character of, the motor impulse little is known. During the 

 act of inflection fluid surely passes from one part to another 

 of the tentacles. In explanation of the fact it is claimed 

 that the motor impulse is allied in nature to the aggregat- 

 ing process, and that this causes the molecules of the cell- 

 walls to approach each other, as do the molecules of the 

 protoplasm within the cells, thereby causing the cells in all 

 to contract. This is probably the hypothesis that best accords 

 with the observed facts, although some strong objections may 

 be urged against this view. The elasticity of their outer 

 cells, which comes into activity as soon as those on the inner 

 side cease contracting with prepotent force, leads largely to 

 the re-expansion of the tentacles, but there is reason to sus- 

 pect that fluid is continually and slowly attracted into the 

 outer cells during the act of re-expansion, thus augmenting 

 their tension. 



With respect to the structure, movements, constitution 

 and habits of Dionaa muscipula and Drosera rotundifolia, as 

 well as kindred species, little has been made out by patient 

 study and investigation in comparison with what remains 

 unexplained and unknown. Many of their movements, 

 especially of Dionaea and Drosera, seem so sensible and 

 intelligent that the reflecting mind of man can hardly hesi- 

 tate to assign them high positions in organic nature and the 

 possession, even though in a very small degree, of that con- 

 sciousness with which animal life is endowed. That man is 

 psychically related to all life is the belief of millions in the old 

 world, and the hope of millions in the new. In this thought 



