128 TENDRIL-BEARERS. Cuar. IV. 
Echinocystis lobata——Numerous observations were 
made on this plant (raised from seed sent me by Prof. 
Asa Gray), for the spontaneous revolving movements 
of the internodes and tendrils were first observed by 
me in this case, and greatly perplexed me. My obser- 
vations may now be much condensed. I observed 
thirty-five revolutions of the internodes and tendrils ; 
the slowest rate was 2 hrs., and the average rate, with 
no great fluctuations, 1 hr. 40 m. Sometimes I tied 
the internodes, so that the tendrils alone moved; at 
other times I cut off the tendrils whilst very young, 
so that the internodes revolved by themselves; but 
the rate was not thus affected. The course generally 
pursued was with the sun, but often in an opposite 
direction. Sometimes the movement during a short 
time would either stop or be reversed; and this 
apparently was due to interference from the light, 
as, for instance, when I placed a plant close to a 
window. In one instance, an old tendril, which had 
nearly ceased revolving, moved in one direction, 
whilst a young tendril above moved in an opposite 
course. The two uppermost internodes alone revolve; 
and as soon as the lower one grows old, only its upper 
part continues to move. The ellipses or circles swept 
by the summits of the internodes are about three inches 
in diameter; whilst those swept by the tips of the 
flowers. Mr. R. Holland (Hard- garden, where one of the short 
wicke’s ‘ Science-Gossip,’ 1865, p. prickles upon the fruit had 
105) states that “a cucumber grown out into a long, curled 
grew, afew years ago in my own _ tendril.” 
