MOVEMEXTS IX THE ORGAXS OE PL AXIS 9 
of the Fly- trap is liberated in the form of a rapid motion of 
the lobes, the stimulus proceeding in much greater rapidity in 
Dionaa than in Drosera, while, as demonstrated by the late Sir J. 
Burdon-Sanderson, an electrical current is found to accompany 
this phenomenon. 
Another observer in a recent magazine article argues that, 
because the protoplasm has been proved to be continuous 
through the cell-walls in plants, and in chemical constitution 
resembles the nerve and brain matter in animals, therefore 
plants must in a small degree feel. 
I'o once more quote the great Darwin, Ceropegia Gardneri 
was allowed to grow out about thirty inches, which it did in 
horizontal fashion from the summit of its support in one long 
shoot; this huge shoot of a pot plant, placed on the study table 
of the famous scientist, swept round a great circle in an average 
period of six hours, tlie tip of the shoot thus moving round the 
circumference of a circle, 16 ft. or more, at the pace of 32 in. 
per hour. To use his own words : “ The weather being hot, 
the plant was allowed to stand on my study table, and it was 
an interesting spectacle to watch the long shoot sweeping the 
great circle night and day in search of some object around which 
to twine.” 
The Scarlet-runner Bean slowly revolves round the upright 
stick placed for its support, but its motion is too gradual to 
follow, but can easily be followed in result. An explanation of 
spiral climbing is that the greatest growth always lies to the 
outside, and progresses spirally, thus naturally giving a spiral 
motion to the whole shoot. It is argued that threads of proto- 
plasm, having unbroken continuity in what are termed the 
pulvini in the sensitive plants, represent the nerves in animal 
structure, and this is very probable as, chemically and histo- 
logically, nerve matter and protoplasm are alike. 
“ The homogeneous masses of combined amceba-like jelly 
ejected from the spores of the lower microscopical fungi are 
termed a plasmodium. This is capable of a slow snail-like 
motion, as well as of coalescing with other adjoining plasmodia, 
and also of absorbing other amoeba-like spore-contents, possess- 
ing the power of creeping about by extending arm-like processes 
from its margin, and by the vital material from the mass 
repeatedly pressing into the arms or processes. Although our 
fields are at all times saturated and traversed by the spore- 
contents or plasmodia of this destructive fungus, Plasmodiophora 
has not hitherto appeared in our printed lists or handbooks.” 
(Worthington G. Smith). 
Allusion has already been made to Vallisneria spiralis, the 
flower-stalks of which, bearing stigmatic or female flowers, are 
borne on long slender peduncles, which are thread-like and 
spirally twisted ; this enables them to extend as the tide rises and 
so always to keep the flowers floating on the surface of the 
water. The male flowers are borne on very short pedicels, close 
