ABSTRACT
A few plants have turned the tables, however, and taken to living off animals. Several sorts of insectivorous plants are found in Europe and North America. The glands have the power of absorption, besides that of secretion. They are extremely sensitive to various stimulants, namely repeated touches, the pressure of minute particles, the absorption of animal matter and of various fluids, heat, and galvanic action. If a gland has been powerfully excited, all the cells down to the base of the tentacle are affected. The vapour is absorbed by the glands, and causes inflection as well as aggregation. The nitrate of ammonia induces aggregation of the protoplasm much less quickly than the carbonate, but is more potent in causing inflection. As few plants are known to possess glands specially adapted for absorption, it seemed worth while to try the effects on Drosera of various other salts, besides those of ammonia, and of various acids.
