Lastly, some dark blue glass pounded into fine splinters was used, in
order that the points of the particles might be better distinguished
when immersed in the secretion; and thirteen such particles were placed
in contact with the depending and therefore thicker part of the drops
round so many glands. Five of the tentacles began moving after an
interval of a few minutes, and in these cases I clearly saw that the
particles touched the lower surface of the gland. A sixth tentacle
moved after 1 hr. 45 m., and the particle was now in contact with the
gland, which was not the case at first. So it was with the seventh
tentacle, but its movement did not begin until 3 hrs. 45 m. had [page
31] elapsed. The remaining six tentacles never moved as long as they
were observed; and the particles apparently never came into contact
with the surfaces of the glands.
From these experiments we learn that particles not containing soluble
matter, when placed on glands, often cause the tentacles to begin
bending in the course of from one to five minutes; and that in such
cases the particles have been from the first in contact with the
surfaces of the glands. When the tentacles do not begin moving for a
much longer time, namely, from half an hour to three or four hours, the
particles have been slowly brought into contact with the glands, either
by the secretion being absorbed by the particles or by its gradual
spreading over them, together with its consequent quicker evaporation.
When the tentacles do not move at all, the particles have never come
into contact with the glands, or in some cases the tentacles may not
have been in an active condition. In order to excite movement, it is
indispensable that the particles should actually rest on the glands;
for a touch once, twice, or even thrice repeated by any hard body is
not sufficient to excite movement.