Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-01-23

three inches through the opening.
The rapidity of motion is also sur
prising, particularly if the tip Is
stroked a few times to arouse its la
tent powers. A tendril of the star GU
cumber so treated began to curl about
my fingers in 10 seconds and in
minute complete revolution had been
made
This is much more rapid than its
movements unhastened by friction,
for pencil so hung as to come lightly
IN contact with such tendril was
not encircled until nine minutes had
elapsed. These star cucumber ten
drills are exquisitely sensitive and 50
responsive to the softest contact that
they may be seen grasping single
strands of spiders web which had
happened to brush against them and
SO aroused them to action.
"As a test of the manner and rate
of motion of a pumpkin vine tendril,
pencil was hung against it, near the
extremity. Hardly had the sensitive
surface felt the contact before a re-
Spouse was visible in the free extrem-
ity, which swung slowly around in a
wide loop, while the tip gradually
curled inward TO complete the circle.
1.-The tip continued to swing around.
passed beneath and close to the main
shaft of the tendril where it touched
the pencil, and by its stin steadily
advancing movement succeeded in
tightening the now finished coil
This stage took twenty-three minutes
and then the free extremity with Us
short remaining piece Of tendril es-
sayed the making of another coil.
u prepared to watch the process
intently, but after a moment or two
it became evident that the coiling mo-
ton had entirely ceased In thinking
ii over afterWard, l was inclined to
believe that the tendril had become
aware as soon as l that not enough
winding length remained 10 complete
the second coil, and consequently It's
need had been made known to the
vine or, at least, that as a result OF
the stimulus exerted on the tendril by
the pencil the vine was prompted to
share in its movement, for | now saw
that the vine had been gradually lean
ing forward toward the pencil.
THE tendril exeTted no pull, for the
pencil hung plumb all the while; It
was, in appearance, a voluntary ipcli-
nation of the vines extremity. This,
of course, produced a slack in the ten
drill and this slack was taken up by
the coil already formed, as it worked
itself slowly forward about the PEN
ellis circumference and so added this
new winding material to the free ex-
tremity The tip now moved forward
again, hugging the pencil, and by
slight upward inclination succeeded in
laying it's fattened body snugly and
firmly against the coil already formed.
"Once again, however, before this
second coil was completed the mater
ial became exhausted, the winding mo-
tion ceased as before, the vine inclined
itself still further and the length so
given was taken up by the slowly re-
volving coils until the tip was free
to move forward and complete the
grasp it had originally designed
This movement was slow as COM
pared with the formation of similar
coils by the burr or star cucumber,
the wild vine which trails its graceful
leaves so plentifully over fences and
refuse heaps throughout the summer.
The tendrils Of this vine will com
plete a double revolution around a
slender support, as a twig or a grass
stem, in twenty or twenty-five min
utes."