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Show X CONTENTS. CI-IAP'rER XVI. PINGUICULA. t f leaves_ Number of insects Pinguicula vulg~ris- Str~~t ur~:vement of the margins of the and other obJects c~ug - t _Secretion digestion, and 1 ves - Uses of this movemen .' . d ea . -Action of the secretion on varwus animal an absorptiOn t The effects of substances not convegetable subs ances- 1 d Pin uicula t . . soluble nitrogenous matter on the g a~ s- g ainmd~ri a Pinguicula lusitanica, catches Insects- Move-gmreann t "o'Jf" otrh e- leaves, secretion and dI' ges tw' n .. raaes 368-394 o CI-IAPTER XVII. U TRIOULARIA. Ulrt.c u l art.a neg lecta- Structure of the bladde. r-The uses of the 1 M • f l .ts Number of imprisoned aruma s- anner o severa par - . · 1 tt b t cap t ure - The bladders cannot digest anim·a rnta er' tuh absorb the products of its decay- Expe.nmen s on e absorption of certain fluids by the quadnfid proce~ses - A bsor tion by the glands - Summary of the o bser_va ~IOn o? absor:tion- Development of the bladders -: Utncularw vulgaris- Ut?·icularia miNor-Utriculur?·a clandestma 395-430 CHAPTER XVIII. UTRICULARIA (continued). Utricularia montana- Description of the bladders on the sub-. terranean rhizomes- Prey captured by the bladders. of plants under culture and in a state of nature- Abso:ptwn by the quadrifid processes and glands~ Tubers ~ervm? as reservoirs for water- Various other speCies of Utncu1anaPolypompholyx- Genlisea, different nature o~ the trap for capturing prey- Diversified methods l>y which plants are noun.s hed .. 431-453 INDEX 455-4G2 INSECTIVOR.OUS P.LANTS. CHAPTER I. DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA, OR THE COMMON SuN-DEW. Number of insects captured-Description of the leaves and their appendages or tentacles- Preliminary sketch of the action of the various parts, and of the manner in which insects are capturedDuration of the inflection of the tentacles-Nature of the secretion- Manner in which insects are carried to the centre of th<' leaf- Evidence that the glands have the power of absorptionSmall size of the roots. DuRING the summer of 1860, I was surprised by finding how large a number of insects were caught by the leaves of the common sun-dew (Drosera rotundifolia) on a heath in Sussex. I had heard that insects were thus caught, but knew nothing further on the subject.* I * As Dr. Nitschke has given ('Bot. Zeitung,' 1860, p. 229) the bibliography of Drosera, I need not here go into details. Most of the notices published before 1860 are brief and unimportant. The oldest paper seems to have been one of the most valuable, namely, by Dr. Roth, in 1782. There is also an interesting though short account of the habits ofDrosera by Dr. Milde, in the' Bot. Zeitung,' 1852, p. 540. In 1855, in the' Annales dos Sc. nat. bot.' tom. iii. pp. ~!-t7 and 304-, MM. Groonland. and 'rreculeach published papers, with figures, on the structure of the I leaves; but M. Trecul went sofar as to doubt whether they possessed any power of movement. Dr. Nitschke's papers in the' Bot. Zeitung' for 1860 and 1861 are by far the most important ones which have been published, both on the habits and structure of this plant; and I shall frequently have occasion to quote from them. His discussions on several points, for instance on the tranRmission of an excitement from one part of the leaf to another, are excellent. On Dec. 11, 1862, Mr. J. Scott read a paper before tlH~ Botanical Society of Edinburgh, B |
