them could actually be seen moving with extraordinary quickness by
little starts, and therefore in an unnatural manner; but they never
reached the centre. After 22 hrs. they fully re-expanded, and on meat
being placed on their glands, or when roughly touched by a needle, they
promptly became inflected; so that these leaves had not been in the
least injured.
Another plant was placed under the same small bell-glass with three
drops of chloroform, and before two minutes had elapsed, the tentacles
began to curl inwards with rapid little jerks. The glass was then
removed, and in the course of two or three additional minutes almost
every tentacle reached the centre. On several other occasions the
vapour did not excite any movement of this kind.
There seems also to be great variability in the degree and manner in
which chloroform renders the glands insensible to the subsequent action
of meat. In the plant last referred to, which had been exposed for 2 m.
to three drops of chloroform, some few tentacles curved up only to a
perpendicular position, and particles of meat were placed on their
glands; this caused them in 5 m. to begin moving, but they moved so
slowly that they did not reach the centre until 1 hr. 30 m. had
elapsed. Another plant was similarly exposed, that is, for 2 m. to
three drops of chloroform, and on particles of meat being placed on the
glands of several tentacles, which had curved up into a perpendicular
position, one of these began to bend in 8 m., but afterwards moved very
slowly; whilst none of the other tentacles [page 219] moved for the
next 40 m. Nevertheless, in 1 hr. 45 m. from the time when the bits of
meat had been given, all the tentacles reached the centre. In this case
some slight anaesthetic effect apparently had been produced. On the
following day the plant had perfectly recovered.
Another plant bearing two leaves was exposed for 2 m. under the 19-oz.
vessel to two drops of chloroform; it was then taken out and examined;
again exposed for 2 m. to two drops; taken out, and re-exposed for 3 m.
to three drops; so that altogether it was exposed alternately to the
air and during 7 m. to the vapour of seven drops of chloroform. Bits of
meat were now placed on thirteen glands on the two leaves. On one of
these leaves, a single tentacle first began moving in 40 m., and two
others in 54 m. On the second leaf some tentacles first moved in 1 hr.
11 m. After 2 hrs. many tentacles on both leaves were inflected; but
201