104 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. Cuap. VI 
say that cubes of the same cartilage, kept in water 
for the same length of time, were not in the least 
affected. 
During a more favourable season, moderately sized 
bits of the skinned ear of a cat, which includes 
cartilage, areolar and elastic tissue, were placed on 
three leaves. Some of the glands were touched with 
saliva, which caused prompt inflection. Two of the 
leaves began to re-expand after three days, and the 
third on the fifth day. The fluid residue left on 
their dises was now examined, and consisted in one 
case of perfectly transparent, viscid matter; in the 
other two cases, it contained some elastic tissue and 
apparently remnants of half digested areolar tissue. 
Fibro-cartilage (from between the vertebre of the 
tail of a sheep). Moderately sized and small bits 
(the latter about ~, of an inch) were placed on nine 
leaves. Some of these were well and some very little 
inflected. In the latter case the bits were dragged 
over the discs, so that they were well bedaubed 
with the secretion, and many glands thus irritated. 
All the leaves re-expanded after only two days; so 
that they were but little excited by this substance. 
The bits were not liquefied, but were certainly in an 
altered condition, being swollen, much more trans- 
parent, and so tender as to disintegrate very easily. 
My son Francis prepared some artificial gastric juice, 
which was proved efficient by quickly dissolving 
fibrin, and suspended portions of the fibro-cartilage 
in it. These swelled and became hyaline, exactly like 
those exposed to the secretion of Drosera, bit were 
not dissolved. This result surprised me much, as 
two physiologists were of opinion that fibro-cartilage 
would be easily digested by gastric juice. I there- 
fore asked Dr. Klein to examine the specimens; and 
