The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-09-18
MEAT-EATING PLANTS.
Some Very queer Scientific. Develop
menFs.

menFs.
At a recent meeting Of the British
association, at Belfast, DR.. Hooker
submitted his views concerning "Some
Carnivorous Plants and their Habits, -
topic which he observed had recently
acquired s new and special interest
from the re searches of DIR. Darwin into
the phenomena that accompal Y the
placing of albuminous substances on
the leaves of diOnoa and other plants,
and which, in the opinion of very emf
nent psychologists, proved that, in the
case of dionoe3 st least, this plant di-
gests exactly the same substances in ex-
actly the same way as the human stOm-
ach. With these researches Mr.. Dlr-
win was still actively engaged, and it
was with the view of aiding him that
the president had, under Mr.. Darwin's
instructions, examined some other car
nivorous plants at Kew. After giving
the history of the subject, and men
tioping that the discovery made with
regard to these plants had long been
unnoticed, DR.. Hooker exhibited a spe-
cimen of dionea, which spread its
leaves out, and when a fly was captured
instantly closed upon it. Examination
showed that the fly was dissolved in the
digestive fZid, exactly like ordinary
gastric fluid, belonging to the leaf.
When the fly was completely dissolved
the leaf spread out again, ready once
more for its prey. A leaf of the do
nel was fed with piece Of beef, upon
which it closed, and did not open again
until the beef was consumed, Cheese
DISAGREED horribly with the leaves, fin
ally killing them. The president ex-
hibited other carnivorous plants, aud
explained the traps laid IN the leaves
and appendages where the plants caught
their victims and fed themselves with
the animal food which came in their
way. Mineral substances had been
placed on q leaf which had shut upOn
fly or ant, but it showed no sign Of con-
tracing. The fine hairs on the leaf
closed gently over a piece of wet chalk,
but soon reopened, leaving the chalk
free. Before Mr.. Darwin's studies
these phenomena were little appro ci-
ated. It was a generalization, now al
most a household word, that all living
things had a common bond of union In
a substance which underlies all the de-
tails of structure. This was called pro-
toplasm, One of the most distinctive
properties was its aptitude to contract,
and in any given organism the particles
of protOplasm were so arranged that
they acted as it were in concert. They
produced cumulative effects which were
" ~ manifest in the results. Such a
manifestation was found In the cOntrac-
tion of muscle, and such n manifesto
tion they possibly had also IN the con
traction of the leaf of the diODRa. All
students of the vegetable side of OF
ganized nature were astonished to hear
7 J.
iments which he had made a the insti-
CATION of Mr.. Darwin, proved to demon
stration that when a leaf of this plant
contracts the effects produced are pre-
cisely similar to those which occur when
muscle contracts. Not merely then
were the phenomena Cf digestion In this
wonderful plant like those of animals,
but the phenomena of cOntractility
agreed with those of animals also.
Though the processes of plant nutrI-
tion were in general extremely differ
ent from those of animals, and involved
very simple compounds, the prOtoplasm
of plants was not absolutely prohibited
from availing itself of food such as that
by which the protOplasm of animals are
nourished. Under this point of view
the phenomena of these plants would
find their place as one more link to the
continuity of nature.
Prof. Huxley said that the phenom-
ena described by DIR. Hooker suggested,
with others, perhaps the greatest prob
lem at present open to them They
found in the dionel actions which ex
actly corresponded with what We're re-
Elections in ourselves. The plant, when
the insect touched a portion of its leaf,
shuts it exactly as an infant hand shuts
when touched in the palm. This i'm
piled a ner7ousEsystem, and it showed
continuity in protoplastic matter. The
solution of the phenomena of the ac-
ton of protoplasm in the plant was
matter which would confer great honor
on him who found it.