OBSERVATIONS ON DROSERA FILIFORMIS. 397 
A.M. bits of the common house fly were placed near the apices of 
a number of leaves, and these were carefully marked in order to 
distinguish them from the great number of those which had al- 
ready captured insects or might during the day make a prey of 
others. They were not visited again until about 7 r.m., the exi- 
gencies of botanical collecting taking my companion and myself 
several miles away. At another place, however, I had an oppor- 
tunity to corroborate Mrs. Treat’s remark upon the power of the 
leaves to make prisoners of large flies; for I witnessed the cap- 
ture of a large and strong dipter,—a desperate struggle ensuing 
which resulted in the prey being permanently held. 
On returning in the evening it was found that in the twelve 
hours which had elapsed, not only, had the glandular hairs around 
bent towards and touched the atoms of fly, but that also in every 
case the leaves themselves had bent over them. My sketches, 
made by laying the leaves upon paper and thus getting their exact 
outline, show a remarkable uniformity in the amount of inflection ; 
it being in each case between 15° and 20°, mostly about 17°. 
These experiments were further corroborated by observations 
upon the leaves around, many of which were much more bent, 
‘undoubtedly from having held the prey a longer time. In one 
case indeed, where the capture had evidently been made near the 
tip of a fully unrolled leaf, it had again curled round the prey so 
as completely to encircle it. 
So far as the limited time available permitted the observation, 
I could not perceive that it made much difference in the amount 
of inflection, upon what part of the circumference of the leaf the 
prey was taken. But if anything the back or outer side was less 
Sensitive. 
As regards the irritation of the glands with a needle the results 
Were entirely negative both in the morning and evening, though it 
IS possible some sensitiveness might have been shown if the ex- 
_ periment had been tried during the noonday heat. 
x The meagre notes of a traveller made during a single day’s 
observation are of course neither so full nor reliable as might be 
~ Obtained by one living on the spot and with time at command. I 
__ believe further and accurate observations of the habits and func- 
tions of this very curious plant would be well repaid by the inter- 
esting results obtained. 
