240 DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA. Cuap. X 
or small*zroup of glands through the bade to the 
other tentacles more readily and effectually in a 
longitudinal than in a transverse direction. 
As long as the glands remain excited, and this may 
last for many days, even for eleven, as when in contact 
with phosphate of lime, they continue to transmit a 
motor impulse to the basal and bending parts of their 
own pedicels, for otherwise they would re-expand. The 
great difference in the length of time during which 
tentacles remain inflected over inorganic objects, and 
over objects of the same size containing soluble nitro- 
genous matter, proves the same fact. But the intensity 
of the impulse transmitted from an excited gland, 
which has begun to pour forth its acid secretion and 
is at the same time absorbing, seems to be very small 
compared with that which it transmits when first ex- 
cited. Thus, when moderately large bits of meat were 
placed on one side of the disc, and the discal and sub- 
marginal tentacles on the opposite side became in- 
flected, so that their glands at last touched the meat 
and absorbed matter from it, they did not transmit 
any motor influence to the exterior rows of tentacles 
on the same side, for these never became inflected. 
If, however, meat had been placed on the glands of 
these same tentacles before they had begun to secrete 
copiously and to absorb, they undoubtedly would. have 
affected the exterior rows. Nevertheless, when I gave 
some phosphate of lime, which is a most powerfuh 
stimulant, to several submarginal tentacles already 
considerably inflected, but not yet in contact with 
some phosphate previously placed on two glands in the 
centre of the disc, the exterior tentacles on the same 
side were acted on. 
When a gland is first excited, the motor impulse is 
discharged within a few seconds, as we know from the 
