Ouap. IX. POISON OF THE COBRA. 207 
4 hrs. 15 m. the outer tentacles were much inflected; and after 
6 hrs. 80 m. those on two of the leaves were closely inflected and 
the blade of one; the third leaf was only moderately affected. 
The leaves remained in the same state during the next day, 
but after 48 hrs. re-expanded. 
Three leaves were now immersed, each in thirty minims of the 
solution, so that each received ~; of a grain, or 4048 mg. In 
6 m. there was some inflection, which steadily increased, so that 
after 2 hrs. 30 m. all three leaves were closely inflected; the 
glands were at first somewhat darkened, then rendered pale; and 
the protoplasm within the cells of the tentacles was partially 
aggregated. The little masses of protoplasm were examined 
after 3 hrs., and again after 7 hrs., and on no other occasion 
have I seen them undergoing such rapid changes of form. 
After 8 hrs. 30 m. the glands had become quite white; they had 
not secreted any great quantity of mucus. The leaves were 
now placed in water, and after 40 hrs. re-expanded, showing that 
they were not much or at all injurcd. During their immersion 
in water the protoplasm within the cells of the tentacles was 
occasionally examined, and always found in strong movement. 
Two leaves were next immersed, each in thirty minims of a 
much stronger solution, of one part to 109 of water; so that each 
received 4 of a grain, or 162 mg. After 1 hr. 45 m. the sub- 
marginal tentacles were strongly inflected, with the glands some- 
what pale; after 3 hrs. 30 m. both leaves had all their tentacles 
closely inflected and the glands white. Hence the weaker 
solution, as in so many other cases, induced more rapid inflec- 
tion than the stronger one; but the glands were sooner rendered 
whit@by the latter. After an immersion of 24 hrs. some of the 
tentacles were examined, and the protoplasm, still of a fine 
purple colour, was found aggregated into chains of small globular 
masses. -These changed their shapes with remarkable quickness. 
After an immersion of 48 hrs. they were again examined, and 
their movements were so plain that they could easily be seen 
under a weak power. The leaves were now placed in water, 
and after 24 hrs. (ie. 72 hrs. from their first immersion) the 
little masses of protoplasm, which had become of a dingy purple, 
were still in strong movement, changing their shapes, coalescing, 
and again separating. 
In 8 hrs. after these two leaves had been placed in water (i.e. 
in 56 hrs. after their immersion in the solution) they began to 
re-expand, and by the next morning were more expanded. 
After an additional day (i.e. on the fourth day after their immer- 
' gion in the solution) they were largely, but not quite fully 
