In all the above cases, and in many others in which leaves remained closed for a long but unknown period over insects naturally caught, they were more or less torpid when they reopened. Generally they were so torpid during many succeeding days that no excitement of the filaments caused the least movement. In one instance, however, on the day after a leaf opened which had clasped a fly, it closed with extreme slowness when one of its filaments was touched; and although no object was left enclosed, it was so torpid that it did not re-open for the second time until 44 hrs. had elapsed. In a second case, a leaf which had expanded after remaining closed for at least nine days over a fly, when greatly irritated, moved one alone of its two lobes, and retained this unusual position for the next two days. A third case offers the strongest exception which I have observed; a leaf, after remaining clasped for an unknown time over a fly, opened, and when one of its filaments was touched, closed, though rather slowly. Dr. Canby, [page 311] who observed in the United States a large number of plants which, although not in their native site, were probably more vigorous than my plants, informs me that he has “several times known vigorous leaves to devour their prey several times; but ordinarily twice, or, quite often, once was enough to render them unserviceable.” Mrs. Treat, who cultivated many plants in New Jersey, also informs me that “several leaves caught successively three insects each, but most of them were not able to digest the third fly, but died in the attempt. Five leaves, however, digested each three flies, and closed over the fourth, but died soon after the fourth capture. Many leaves did not digest even one large insect.” It thus appears that the power of digestion is somewhat limited, and it is certain that leaves always remain clasped for many days over an insect, and do not recover their power of closing again for many subsequent days. In this respect Dionaea differs from Drosera, which catches and digests many insects after shorter intervals of time.