152) that the leaflet
oscillated twice up and down between early morning and noon; it then fell
greatly, afterwards rising till 3 P.M. At this latter hour the great
nocturnal fall commenced. On the second day (of which the tracing is not
given) there was exactly the same double oscillation before noon, but only
a very small one in the afternoon. On the third morning the leaflet moved
laterally, which was due to its beginning to assume an oblique position, as
seems invariably to occur with the leaflets of this species as they grow
old. On both nights after the leaflets were asleep and hung vertically
down, they continued to move a little both up and down, and from side to
side.
Erythrina caffra.--A filament was fixed transversely across
[page 367]
a terminal leaflet, as we wished to observe its movements when asleep. The
plant was placed in the morning of June 10th under a skylight, where the
light was not bright; and we do not know whether it was owing to this cause
or to the plant having been disturbed, but the leaflet hung vertically down
all day; nevertheless it circumnutated in this position, describing a
figure which represented two irregular ellipses.
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