It is an important fact that when an organic or inorganic object is
placed on the glands of the disc, and the exterior tentacles are thus
caused to bend inwards, not only is the secretion from the glands of
the latter increased in quantity and rendered acid, but the contents of
the cells of their pedicels become aggregated. The process always
commences in the glands, although these have not as yet touched any
object. Some force or influence must, therefore, be transmitted from
the central glands to the exterior tentacles, first to near their bases
causing this part to bend, and next to the glands causing them to
secrete more copiously. After a short time the glands, thus indirectly
excited, transmit or reflect some influence down their own pedicels,
inducing aggregation in cell beneath cell to their bases.
It seems at first sight a probable view that aggregation is due to the
glands being excited to secrete more copiously, so that sufficient
fluid is not left in their cells, and in the cells of the pedicels, to
hold the protoplasm in solution. In favour of this view is the fact
that aggregation follows the inflection of the tentacles, and during
the movement the glands generally, or, as I believe, always, secrete
more copiously than they did before. Again, during the re-expansion
[page 56] of the tentacles, the glands secrete less freely, or quite
cease to secrete, and the aggregated masses of protoplasm are then
redissolved. Moreover, when leaves are immersed in dense vegetable
solutions, or in glycerine, the fluid within the gland-cells passes
outwards, and there is aggregation; and when the leaves are afterwards
immersed in water, or in an innocuous fluid of less specific gravity
than water, the protoplasm is redissolved, and this, no doubt, is due
to endosmose.