dry carbonate is placed on a gland, the purple colour is quickly
discharged, owing probably to an excess of the salt. The gland,
moreover, is killed.
Turning now to the action of organic substances, the glands on which
bits of raw meat were placed became dark-coloured; and in 18 hrs. their
contents were conspicuously aggregated. Several glands with bits of
albumen and fibrin were darkened in between 2 hrs. and 3 hrs.; but in
one case the purple colour was completely discharged. Some glands which
had caught flies were compared with others close by; and though they
did not differ much in colour, there was a marked difference in their
state of aggregation. In some few instances, however, there was no such
difference, and this appeared to be due to the insects having been
caught long ago, so that the glands had recovered their pristine state.
In one case, a group of the sessile colourless glands, to which a small
fly adhered, presented a peculiar appearance; for they had become
purple, owing to purple granular matter coating the cell-walls. I may
here mention as a caution that, soon after some of my plants arrived in
the spring from Portugal, the glands were not plainly acted on by bits
of meat, or insects, or a solution of ammonia—a circumstance for which
I cannot account.
Digestion of Solid Animal Matter.—Whilst I was trying to place on two
of the taller glands little cubes of albumen, these slipped down, and,
besmeared with secretion, were left resting on some of the small
sessile glands. After 24 hrs. one of these cubes was found [page 340]
completely liquefied, but with a few white streaks still visible; the
other was much rounded, but not quite dissolved. Two other cubes were
left on tall glands for 2 hrs. 45 m., by which time all the secretion
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
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