RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [ny].09.02-08. Drop of distilled water (not sunshine). CUL-DAR60.1.30-33. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).
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Sept 2d. 8°. 53' drop of distilled water (not sunshine) Umber marginal round & long-headed Hairs all straight 10. 18 sucked off water (rendered viscid) Wall [illeg] Pot
10°. 35' 2 gr. to 8 oz water (strictly 1 gr to 4 oz) good large drop.
11° no clear effect 11°. 35' no clear effect 2°. 15' no effect
(Sept 2d)
Sept 2d 8° 53' Drop of distilled water (not in sunshine) Blue — 2 or 3 hairs at ∠ on left at all other hairs round & long-headed all straight
10° 30' put moderate drop of 2 gr to 4 oz 1 gr to 2 oz of distilled water.
A Some of hairs on right upper side next to margin are bent in owing to viscidity
11° no clear effect 11°. 35' I suspect slight effect [sketch] some 2 or 3 round-headed hair vertical here
2°. 15' no effect / put in sun. 3. 15 one long-headed hair inflected. —
5. 30 I think what little effect was produced has disappeared.— All that I can say is that I must suspect some slight action was produced.
11°. 35 Big Pin put drop of 2 gr. to 4 oz on leaf of the referred solution, no water on the leaf
2°. 15' no effect then put in sun, yet no effect
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Hairs all straight) Sept 3 (11°. 14' AM) Carb of Ammonia 2 gr to 4 oz distilled
Carb of ammonia 2 gr to 4 oz distilled water Sunshine mere shortest gleams
Red O Plain water Plain water
on left side several hairs turned in 1 P.m. only 11 long-headed now expanding
2°. 5' not marked effect. / 3°. 30' no mor effect /, I see 5 or 6 long-headed turned in & a few of round-headed intermediates (Every single hair was originally straight.)
Sept 4th 5° 45'. Hair all straight; they were not so this morning at 8. 30
Red 2 do
3° 30' no effect very small leaf
Sept 4th. 5° 45' P.m. Hairs all stra
Red 3. do 3° 30' three or four long marginal hairs inflected — all were straight.—
Sept 4th 5°. 45' every hair now again straight & expanded
Blue O Plain water Car. of amm 2 gr to 4 oz distilled Plain water
(central hair on right side a little inflected)
1.P.m 1 or 2 long marginal hairs inflected
Blue 2 central hair on left side a little inflected
Blue 3 2 long-headed inflected
Carbonate of Ammonia Experiments─
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11° 5' Sept 5th (after an hour or two exposure to sun)
(These plants are now recovered, which had water, now have c. of ammonia
Blue O Carb of Am. 2 gr to 4. oz
2 hair N.NE. near margin inflected
12°. 5' no marked effect on any — good sunshine all time.
1. 5. one long-headed on right side considerably arched over.
2. 5 not much change, but last hour cloudy.—
3 5— do last hour quite cloudy
4 5 do do
6. — / do. do
Blue (2) all straight (most of long-headed reflexed & withered)
1°. 5' one long spherical-headed marginal all on right side inflected
1. 5 a good many round-headed ones on both sides inflected
2. 5 still more inflected & marginal round-headed at right angle
This specimen getting dry.
6. P m. Hairs appear rather entangled & irregular
Sept 6th. 9 A.M. hairs all straight again
Blue (3) all straight Some effect here produced I cannot doubt →
Wire with Carb of Ammonia 1. 5 several inflected marginal — one long -headed on left side. 3. 5 in nearly same state as Blue (3) 6°. 2 or 3 marginal Hairs inflected on left side
Sept 6th. 9 A m. All Hairs straight
Red. (O) Plain distilled water
all straight except for close to footstalk
6. P.m. put on drops of Saliva.—
Sept 6. 9 A m. some marginal Hair inflected
Sept 6 I P.m put on more saliva
Sept 7. 12 A.m many marginal hairs inflected. Certainly effect this was old Basin with slow acting leaves.
Red (2) all straight
Red (3) all straight (Sept 6. 5 P.m.) this leaf caught just lately a small fly has strongly collapsed.)
Anyhow these Experiment s show that water no effect
[Right column:]
All with water
1°.5' no marginal hairs inflected — but those of disk near margin From drying somewhat inflected. — 3°. 5' do. —
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11°. 17' Sept 6th. Cloudy day All day
Black (1) Carb of Ammonia 2. gr to 2. oz
((Every hair straight) in whole lot) 12°. 17' a few of right & left hand marginal inflected, 2 or 3, some long-headed
1°. 45' [sketch] all more or less inflected below this line
5. P.m same state
Sept 7th 8. 30 all marginals straight again. These cases show in contrast with those on back of Page, what an influence constitution of Plant has.—
Black (2) not much action.
1. 45. one or 2 marginals inflected
5° P m. same state Sept 7. 8° 30' these remain inflected.
Black (3). not much effect 3° P.m. show a good deal of effect on leaf itself
5. P.m. leaf decidedly inflected; & the marginal round-headed, though not actually touching fluid much bent in. — Sept 7th. 8°. 30'. This leaf keeps very decidedly inflected Sept 8. 11. 30. now well open & hair withered
Black (4) 12. 15 — 9 or 10 marginal Hairs inflected; all of leaf now much turned in.— leaf slightly inflected. 5° P.m impossible to doubt decided effect—
(new Basis) Sept 7. 4° 30' thoroughly & quite expanded again. —
Plain water
White (1), 1 or 2 sub marginal (& several submarginal on S.E corner) inflected
see Back for this, with C. of Ammonia put on
White (2) no distinct action 5° pm no action
White (3)
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Sept 6th 2 gr to 2 oz water 3 o clock
Yellow (1) (All New Basis) which had water this morning & now dry (several submarginal hair SE. & 3 or 4 W. side inflected)
(water run off) As water run off I put on one 2 or 3 drop which all run off at 5° P.m. Many several extreme marginal hairs on two sides inflected. (These running-off cases in which the drop run off very striking as the quantity must have been so small)
Sept 7. 8°. 45' Hairs all straight
Yellow (3) (Marginal hairs reflexed leaf standing edge upwards) at 5° P.m. the many of the marginals very greatly reflexed now inflexed, instead of all being greatly reflexed backwards 7.25 almost all hairs closely clasped
Sept 7th 8° 45' most of hairs now at right angles & some of marginals nearly expanded
Sept. 8 11. 40 almost all hairs now much reflexed in original position
Yellow 4 3 or 4 close to footstalk submarginal reflexed (Water run off (Consequently I put on 2 drops) at 5°. P.m all marginal hairs except 2 strongly inflected 7° 25' do — Sept. 7th. 8° 45', all marginals nearly straight again.—
Sept 7th. 4°. 30' thoroughly expanded.
Yellow 5 a few marginal N.E rather curled in — at 5. P.m. a vast number of marginal hairs on all sides inflected 7. 50 do. Sept 7th 8° 45' nearly straight again
Plain water
2 wires (1 single N.W. marginal reflex) at 5° Pm. no effect
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Sept 8th. Keston Specn 10. 10 All good open specn.— Sticks marked Blue
Carb of Amm 2 gr to 3 oz of water day cloudy
[data not transcribed]
Carb of Amm 2 gr to 3 oz of water 10° 12/
Sticks white
[8v]
(Carbonate of Ammonia)
1 fluid oz 437.5 gr
1/2 219 gr
(Carbonate of Ammonia)
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 2 February, 2023