CAENIVOEOUS PLANTS 285 



or else overstrewn with chaffHke scales." Their out- 

 ward garb covers and protects the chloroplasts, and 

 serves as a light screen. It has also been shown that 

 in the leaves of many green plants, when it is desirable 

 to make the most of the light, the chloroplasts assume 

 a rounded or perhaps conical shape, and project towards 

 the centre of the cells, thus intercepting all light pos- 

 sible; but when the light is too intense, these colour- 

 bodies become flattened, and withdraw from the centre 

 to some extent, thus avoiding the excess of light. 



Having given some attention to the relation of green 

 plants to light, and shown that the methods adopted 

 and the positions assumed bear principally upon carbon 

 assimilation, we must now devote a little space to some 

 notes on plant peculiarities in respect to nutrition. In 

 this regard plants are classified as Green Plants, Car- 

 nivorous Plants, Symbiotic Plants, and the non-green 

 Saprophytes and Parasites. 



From what has already been stated, the reader will 

 have concluded that Green Plants, whether they be land 

 forms or aquatics, are self-nourishing. They labour for 

 their living in a self-respecting manner, and with com- 

 mendable industry. This statement has reference to 

 normal forms, and is not applicable to some green hemi- 

 parasites which seem to have embarked upon a vicious 

 career. 



The Carnivorous Plants, or Vegetable Flesh-con- 

 sumers, have a peculiar interest, and are remarkable 

 instances of the manner in which plant life, face to face 

 with great difficulties, has most ingeniously adapted 

 itself to the demands of a situation, and come out vie- 



