The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-09-18
MEAT-EATING PLANTS.
sqSae Very EQueer scientific. DeveloI
lIanrIfa-a


ments..
At a recent meeting of the British
association, at Belfast, DIR. Hookel
submitted his views concerning "Somt
| Carnivorous Plants and their Habits.
aNopic which he observed had recently
20 Jired a new and special interest
| from the researches of DIR. Darwin into
the phenomena that accompany the
! placing of albuminous substances on
the leaves of dionoea and other plants.
and which, IN the opinion of very emf
nent Psychologists, proved that, in the
case of dionoea at least, this plant di-
| gests exactly the same substances in ex-
actly the same way as the human stom-
ach. With these researches Mr.. Oar
win was still actively engaged, and it
was with the view of aiding him that
the PR lbnt had, under Mr.. Darwin's
Instruce1-ns, examined some other car
nivorous plants at Kew. After giving
the history of the subject, and men
tlonlng that the discovery made with
regard to these plants had long been
unnoticed, DIR. Hooker exhibited a spe-
cimen OF dlonse-., i5seSeb Tprsad its
Instantly tcfoset ~ s1aantBzed
showed that the fly was dissolved in the
digestive fEid, exactly like ordinary
gastric fluid, belonging to the leaf.
When the fly was completely dissolved
the leaf spaead out again. ready once
more for its prey. A leaf of the do
noea 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-
hibitsd other carnivorous plants, and
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 a leaf which had sh at upon
fly or ant, but it showed no sign of con-
tracing. The fine hairs on the leaf
8slosed gently over piece of wet chalk,
but soon reopened, leaving the chalk
free. Before Mr.. Darwin's studies
these phenomena were little appreci-
ated. 1t was a generalization, now al-
most household word, that all living
shings had common bond of union In
a substance which underlies all the de-
tails of structure. This was called pro-
toplasra. One of the most distinctive
properties was its aptitude 10 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
very manifest in the results. Such a
manifestation was found in the contrac-
ton of muscle, and such a manifesSa-
ton they possibly had also in the con
traction of the leaf of the dionea. All
students of the vegetable side of or
ganiZed nature were astonished to hear
from DR.. Sauderson that certain exper-
l.. - L l. I I
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 Of 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 Yolarata 49, sts--t-- -I=- a-t--t-:L-I
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 dionoea actions which ex-
actIy corresponded with what were re-
Elections in ourselves. The plant, when
the insect touched portion of its leaf,
shuts it exactly as an infant hand shuts
when touched in the palm. This inn
piled a nervousysystem, and it showed
continuity in protoplastic matter. The
solution of the phenomena of the ac-
ton of protoplasm in the plant was a
matter which woHld confer great honor
on him who found it.