SYMPATHY IN PLANTS. 361 



end of the leaf, and in a little time the rachis is inflected and the whole 

 leaf drops at the trunk. It may be remarked that a small flexion takes 

 place towards the tip ; but this principally arises from a disposition in 

 the folioles, for a middle one cannot collapse without pressing or folding 

 a little on the one next to it towards the end of the leaf which stimu- 

 lates it and makes it collapse. 



It is evident in the tendril of the vine, for these tendrils generally 

 divide into two, near their ends : these two going out from the principal 

 trunk in different directions, if one lays hold of any body and twines 

 round it, the other immediately alters its direction and gradually ap- 

 proaches the same body till it comes in contact with it, and then bends 

 round it and encircles it. This motion, however, is very slowly per- 

 formed. 



Sympathy in plants is very slow in producing its actions ; the suc- 

 cession of stimuli in them being slow, the consequent actions must also 

 move slowly along. 



Plants have but one mode of sympathy, which arises from stimulus. 

 Animals with no brain or nerves have but one also. Those, however, 

 endowed with sensation have three : they have one mode from stimulus, 

 one from sensation, and one compounded of both K 



Sympathy in animals, arising from stimulus only, is slow, as in plants ; 

 but sympathy from sensation is often very quick. 



In the Vine, if the stem rises perpendicularly, the footstalk generally 

 comes out at an acute angle with the stem above; but if the stem 

 hangs, as it often does, then the petiole makes an obtuse angle with 

 the same part of the stem. This action is performed at the setting on 

 of the petioles. But in this last position of the stem the footstalk is 

 obliged to make a twist of half a circle to bring the upper side again 

 uppermost ; and this twist is principally performed at the root of the 

 petiole, but it in some degree runs through the whole. 



The flexion and extension, with the conoid motion, must be per- 

 formed by longitudinal contracting powers, but the rotatory motion 

 must be performed by oblique. 



With the idea that it was possible that the contracting power of 

 vegetables might be muscular, and therefore the same species of matter 

 as animal matter, — especially, too, as they yielded the same matter when 

 analysed, although not in the same proportions, — I made the following 

 experiments : — 



I cut off from several leaves of the Sensitive-plant the active part of 



1 [Animals manifesting only the ' reflex phenomena ' of the nervous system, are 

 here contrasted with those exhibiting, also, ' sensational phenomena ' associated with 

 the possession of a brain.] 



