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 Dionga 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 Dionza 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 
