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the formation of vegetable mould-第7章

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highly injurious or poisonous to leaves; for nearly the same 
effects were produced in from one to two days on various kinds of 
young leaves; not only by artificial pancreatic fluid; prepared 
with or without thymol; but quickly by a solution of thymol by 
itself。  On one occasion leaves of Corylus were much discoloured by 
being kept for eighteen hours in pancreatic fluid; without any 
thymol。  With young and tender leaves immersion in human saliva 
during rather warm weather; acted in the same manner as the 
pancreatic fluid; but not so quickly。  The leaves in all these 
cases often became infiltrated with the fluid。

Large leaves from an ivy plant growing on a wall were so tough that 
they could not be gnawed by worms; but after four days they were 
affected in a peculiar manner by the secretion poured out of their 
mouths。  The upper surfaces of the leaves; over which the worms had 
crawled; as was shown by the dirt left on them; were marked in 
sinuous lines; by either a continuous or broken chain of whitish 
and often star…shaped dots; about 2 mm。 in diameter。  The 
appearance thus presented was curiously like that of a leaf; into 
which the larva of some minute insect had burrowed。  But my son 
Francis; after making and examining sections; could nowhere find 
that the cell…walls had been broken down or that the epidermis had 
been penetrated。  When the section passed through the whitish dots; 
the grains of chlorophyll were seen to be more or less discoloured; 
and some of the palisade and mesophyll cells contained nothing but 
broken down granular matter。  These effects must be attributed to 
the transudation of the secretion through the epidermis into the 
cells。

The secretion with which worms moisten leaves likewise acts on the 
starch…granules within the cells。  My son examined some leaves of 
the ash and many of the lime; which had fallen off the trees and 
had been partly dragged into worm…burrows。  It is known that with 
fallen leaves the starch…grains are preserved in the guard…cells of 
the stomata。  Now in several cases the starch had partially or 
wholly disappeared from these cells; in the parts which had been 
moistened by the secretion; while it was still well preserved in 
the other parts of the same leaves。  Sometimes the starch was 
dissolved out of only one of the two guard…cells。  The nucleus in 
one case had disappeared; together with the starch…granules。  The 
mere burying of lime…leaves in damp earth for nine days did not 
cause the destruction of the starch…granules。  On the other hand; 
the immersion of fresh lime and cherry leaves for eighteen hours in 
artificial pancreatic fluid; led to the dissolution of the starch…
granules in the guard…cells as well as in the other cells。

From the secretion with which the leaves are moistened being 
alkaline; and from its acting both on the starch…granules and on 
the protoplasmic contents of the cells; we may infer that it 
resembles in nature not saliva; {22} but pancreatic secretion; and 
we know from Fredericq that a secretion of this kind is found in 
the intestines of worms。  As the leaves which are dragged into the 
burrows are often dry and shrivelled; it is indispensable for their 
disintegration by the unarmed mouths of worms that they should 
first be moistened and softened; and fresh leaves; however soft and 
tender they may be; are similarly treated; probably from habit。  
The result is that they are partially digested before they are 
taken into the alimentary canal。  I am not aware of any other case 
of extra…stomachal digestion having been recorded。  The boa…
constrictor is said to bathe its prey with saliva; but this is 
doubtful; and it is done solely for the sake of lubricating its 
prey。  Perhaps the nearest analogy may be found in such plants as 
Drosera and Dionaea; for here animal matter is digested and 
converted into peptone not within a stomach; but on the surfaces of 
the leaves。

Calciferous Glands。These glands (see Fig。 1); judging from their 
size and from their rich supply of blood…vessels; must be of much 
importance to the animal。  But almost as many theories have been 
advanced on their use as there have been observers。  They consist 
of three pairs; which in the common earth…worm debouch into the 
alimentary canal in advance of the gizzard; but posteriorly to it 
in Urochaeta and some other genera。 {23}  The two posterior pairs 
are formed by lamellae; which; according to Claparede; are 
diverticula from the oesophagus。 {24}  These lamellae are coated 
with a pulpy cellular layer; with the outer cells lying free in 
infinite numbers。  If one of these glands is punctured and 
squeezed; a quantity of white pulpy matter exudes; consisting of 
these free cells。  They are minute; and vary in diameter from 2 to 
6 microns。  They contain in their centres a little excessively fine 
granular matter; but they look so like oil globules that Claparede 
and others at first treated them with ether。  This produces no 
effect; but they are quickly dissolved with effervescence in acetic 
acid; and when oxalate of ammonia is added to the solution a white 
precipitate is thrown down。  We may therefore conclude that they 
contain carbonate of lime。  If the cells are immersed in a very 
little acid; they become more transparent; look like ghosts; and 
are soon lost to view; but if much acid is added; they disappear 
instantly。  After a very large number have been dissolved; a 
flocculent residue is left; which apparently consists of the 
delicate ruptured cell…walls。  In the two posterior pairs of glands 
the carbonate of lime contained in the cells occasionally 
aggregates into small rhombic crystals or into concretions; which 
lie between the lamellae; but I have seen only one case; and 
Claparede only a very few such cases。

The two anterior glands differ a little in shape from the four 
posterior ones; by being more oval。  They differ also conspicuously 
in generally containing several small; or two or three larger; or a 
single very large concretion of carbonate of lime; as much as 1。5 
mm。 in diameter。  When a gland includes only a few very small 
concretions; or; as sometimes happens; none at all; it is easily 
overlooked。  The large concretions are round or oval; and 
exteriorly almost smooth。  One was found which filled up not only 
the whole gland; as is often the case; but its neck; so that it 
resembled an olive…oil flask in shape。  These concretions when 
broken are seen to be more or less crystalline in structure。  How 
they escape from the gland is a marvel; but that they do escape is 
certain; for they are often found in the gizzard; intestines; and 
in the castings of worms; both with those kept in confinement and 
those in a state of nature。

Claparede says very little about the structure of the two anterior 
glands; and he supposes that the calcareous matter of which the 
concretions are formed is derived from the four posterior glands。  
But if an anterior gland which contains only small concretions is 
placed in acetic acid and afterwards dissected; or if sections are 
made of such a gland without being treat
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