192 



tity of the fluid being taken as a measure of the lipolytic power 

 of the liquid. The amount of alkali required (except in certain 

 abnormal cases, which were caused by the accidental presence of 

 ants in large numbers and consequent putrefactive lipolysis) 

 was the same as for an identical volume of the liquid which had 

 not been introduced into the pitchers, so it may be inferred that 

 no digestion of the fat occurred. 



As a check, a mixture of olive oil and water of the same pro- 

 portion as that used in the preceding experiments, with the 

 addition of toluol was placed in several pitchers but the amount 

 of alkali necessary to neutralize was so nearly the same in every 

 instance as to indicate that the oil was neutral and that no 

 digestion occurred. 



Ethyl Butyrate. — As a further test of the fat digesting power 

 of Sarracenia, tap-water which had been left in the pitchers one 

 day was removed and placed in stoppered bottles with ethyl 

 butyrate in the proportion of four drops of the butyrate to 2 c.c. 

 of the pitcher liquid. It was allowed to remain at room temper- 

 ature twenty-four hours and then titrated, phenolphthalein being 

 used as the indicator and the lipolytic activity of the fluid being 

 measured by the number of drops of mjioo sodium hydroxide 

 solution needed to neutralize it. In place of tap-water, a very 

 dilute solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH injioo), and also 

 a very dilute solution of acetic acid (KOH ;/z/ioo), was used in 

 testing the contents of certain pitchers, but the number of drops 

 of the alkaline solution needed for neutralization did not indicate 

 any digestion. 



As a check the stock liquid which had not been in the pitcher 

 was subjected to the same test as the pitcher contents in each 

 case, and the results were practically the same as with the pitcher 

 fluid. 



Olive oil and water, in the same proportions as those used in 

 the case of Sarraccnia, were placed in the pitchers of Nepenthes 

 and the titration process was conducted in the same manner, but 

 no digestion was detected. 



The experiment with ethyl butyrate was repeated with the sub- 

 stitution of tap-water which had been in the pitchers of Nepen- 

 thes instead of Sarracenia, one day. No digestion was indicated. 



