not reach the fly, they re-expanded in the course of 15 hrs.; the
tentacles on the left side remaining clasped for several days.
(3) A bit of meat, rather larger than those commonly used, [page 238]
was placed in a medial line at the basal end of the disc, near the
footstalk; after 2 hrs. 30 m. some neighbouring tentacles were
inflected; after 6 hrs. the tentacles on both sides of the footstalk,
and some way up both sides, were moderately inflected; after 8 hrs. the
tentacles at the further or distal end were more inflected than those
on either side; after 23 hrs. the meat was well clasped by all the
tentacles, excepting by the exterior ones on the two sides.
(4) Another bit of meat was placed at the opposite or distal end of
another leaf, with exactly the same relative results.
(5) A minute bit of meat was placed on one side of the disc; next day
the neighbouring short tentacles were inflected, as well as in a slight
degree three or four on the opposite side near the footstalk. On the
second day these latter tentacles showed signs of re-expanding, so I
added a fresh bit of meat at nearly the same spot, and after two days
some of the short tentacles on the opposite side of the disc were
inflected. As soon as these began to re-expand, I added another bit of
meat, and next day all the tentacles on the opposite side of the disc
were inflected towards the meat; whereas we have seen that those on the
same side were affected by the first bit of meat which was given.]
Now for the general results. Of the eighteen leaves on which bits of
meat were placed on the right or left sides of the disc, eight had a
vast number of tentacles inflected on the same side, and in four of
them the blade itself on this side was likewise inflected; whereas not
a single tentacle nor the blade was affected on the opposite side.
These leaves presented a very curious appearance, as if only the
inflected side was active, and the other paralysed. In the remaining
ten cases, a few tentacles became inflected beyond the medial line, on
the side opposite to that where the meat lay; but, in some of these
cases, only at the proximal or distal ends of the leaves. The
inflection on the opposite side always occurred considerably after that
on the same side, and in one instance not until the fourth day. We have
also seen [page 239] with No. 5 that bits of meat had to be added
thrice before all the short tentacles on the opposite side of the disc
217