4 New Phase of Plant-Life. [January, 
in the vegetable kingdom.” But this extreme sensibility is 
not promiscuous in its nature. It readts to continuous 
pressure to the wonderful extent just recited, but a mo- 
mentary touch, even several times repeated, produces no 
inflection. “ On one occasion forty-five glands on eleven 
leaves were touched once, twice, or even thrice, with a 
needle or stiff bristle. This was done as quickly as possible, 
and with force sufficient to bend the tentacles ; but only six 
of them became inflected — three plainly and three in a 
slight degree.” Yet these tentacles, so indifferent to a 
passing touch, were quickly deflected if bits of meat were 
laid upon them, and were thus found to be in a normal, 
healthy condition. This comparative insensibility to touch, 
the author very justly argues, must be of advantage to the 
plant, since in windy weather its leaves must be occasionally 
brushed by the tall blades of grass growing near. “ It 
would be a great evil if the tentacles were thus brought into 
aCtion, for the aCt of re-expansion takes a considerable 
time, and until the tentacles are re-expanded they cannot 
catch prey.” But prolonged pressure — even from utterly 
innutritious matter, such as glass, cinder, gold-leaf, cork, 
&c. — produces inflection. This is a serious consideration 
for teleologists, as furnishing proof that the plant is not 
perfectly adapted to the circumstances in which it is placed. 
“ If a bit of dry moss, peat, or other rubbish, is blown on 
to the disk, as often happens, the tentacles clasp it in a 
useless manner. They soon, however, discover their mis- 
take, and release such innutritious matter.” 
Drops of water falling upon the leaf— whether as natural 
rain or artificially sprinkled — produce no effeCt. This is 
the more remarkable as small rain-drops often adhere to 
the viscid secretion of the plant, and must occasion a 
pressure vastly greater than that of the bits of hair above 
mentioned. It is obvious that to be affecfted by rain-fall 
would be highly inconvenient to the plant. 
The success of the sun-dew in capturing prey is great. 
u On one plant all six leaves had caught their prey, and on 
several plants very many leaves had each caught more than 
a single inseCt. On one large leaf I found the remains of 
thirteen distindt inseCts.” Hence it would seem that the 
snares of the sun-dew are quite as efficient as a spider’s 
web. As to the species captured it appears that flies 
(Diptera) are the commonest victims. “ The largest kind 
which I have seen caught was a small butterfly (Ccenonympha 
pamphihis ) , but the Rev. H. M. Wilkinson informs me that 
he found a large living dragon-fly with its body firmly held 
