43

Sep 22

Worms

specimens almost decolorised in alcohol

Hazel leaf dragged in — no starch at either the part which has been in or the other

Ash 3 leaves almost decolorised in alcohol. The apex had been dragged in — On first looking the stomata cells at apex looked quite emptied out but in one set of specimens after boiling in glycerine & caustic potash starch became visible — In another set this did not produce any effect. The guard cells at the base of the leaf were not nearly so much emptied of contents but did not stain purple well.

Sp 23 yellow fallen filbert leaf (not in alcohol) shavings from lower epidermis boiled in dilute glycerine — Plenty of starch in guard cells.

Green filbert leaf fallen from tree from orchard — boiled in glyce hardly any starch

Another leaf rather hard to stain but after time all stomata fairly full

43v

Sept 25th

I think origin of habit of moistening leaves with their digestive fluid was that they oftener drag dried decayed leaves than fresh ones, & it wd be absolutely necessary that this shd be softened in order to be gnawed, & if it were partly digested by the softeing process, it wd be a clear adaptation to the worms.)

44

Mere burying in earth does not place any [2 words illeg]

Sep 24th 9am — Lime leaves which had been buried in damp earth since 4pm Sep 15. Neither old nor young discoloured — They were examined without being put in alcohol, simply boiled in dilute glycerine & lots of starch in all guard-cells in both leaves

Another pair, old & young, buried at same time in the sand pot are much discoloured. The young one quite brown & rotten coming to pieces at a touch. The older one black & yellow in patches & with mold appearing

The green parts have lots of starch. But many stomata in the blackened parts have none.

Laburnum in sand at same time — Leaf quite green except on dead place in middle

Green fresh part does not contain full amount of starch.

45

Sep 24

[in margin:] All these boiled in dil glycerine + 1 + K1 used

Now got some lime leaves which had been naturally dragged into holes under the lime trees.

1) Much eaten, not browned but fairly green everywhere. Lots of starch in part dragged in & in part above ground — No difference between the two parts. This was not a slimy leaf.

2) Much eaten, slimy, & transparent not browned

First set of specimens from a slimy part had almost if not quite the normal amount of starch in the guard-cells. Second & 3rd set from the extreme apex where it had been much eaten, showed a distinct dissolution in the amount of starch, some guard cells quite empty & some with only traces, many others with clearly diminished starch

3) Large leaf nearly all dragged in, much eaten & slimy nearly all over. The slimy parts are very tender & easily torn but not transparent or discoloured. The stomata undoubtedly contain much less than the normal amount of starch. At extreme base a little dry place contains about normal amount of starch.