was absorbed; but they were not perceptibly acted on, though no doubt
some slight amount of animal matter had been absorbed from them. They
were then placed on the small sessile glands, which being thus
stimulated secreted copiously in the course of 7 hrs. One of these
cubes was much liquefied within this short time; and both were
completely liquefied after 21 hrs. 15 m.; the little liquid masses,
however, still showing some white streaks. These streaks disappeared
after an additional period of 6 hrs. 30 m.; and by next morning (i.e.
48 hrs. from the time when the cubes were first placed on the glands)
the liquefied matter was wholly absorbed. A cube of albumen was left on
another tall gland, which first absorbed the secretion and after 24
hrs. poured forth a fresh supply. This cube, now surrounded by
secretion, was left on the gland for an additional 24 hrs., but was
very little, if at all, acted on. We may, therefore, conclude, either
that the secretion from the tall glands has little power of digestion,
though strongly acid, or that the amount poured forth from a single
gland is insufficient to dissolve a particle of albumen which within
the same time would have been dissolved by the secretion from several
of the small sessile glands. Owing to the death of my last plant, I was
unable to ascertain which of these alternatives is the true one.
Four minute shreds of pure fibrin were placed, each resting on one,
two, or three of the taller glands. In the course of 2 hrs. 30 m. the
secretion was all absorbed, and the shreds were left almost dry. They
[page 341] were then pushed on to the sessile glands. One shred, after
2 hrs. 30 m., seemed quite dissolved, but this may have been a mistake.
A second, when examined after 17 hrs. 25 m., was liquefied, but the
liquid as seen under the microscope still contained floating granules
of fibrin. The other two shreds were completely liquefied after 21 hrs.
30 m.; but in one of the drops a very few granules could still be
detected. These, however, were dissolved after an additional interval
of 6 hrs. 30 m.; and the surface of the leaf for some distance all
round was covered with limpid fluid. It thus appears that Drosophyllum
digests albumen and fibrin rather more quickly than Drosera can; and
this may perhaps be attributed to the acid, together probably with some
small amount of the ferment, being present in the secretion, before the
glands have been stimulated; so that digestion begins at once.
Concluding Remarks. The linear leaves of Drosophyllum differ but
slightly from those of certain species of Drosera; the chief
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