EFFECTS OF LOWER ALCOHOLS ON PARAMECIUM. 255 



rarely, if ever, form in the oral groove, and this region is gen- 

 erally the last to exhibit the signs of death. But the anterior end 

 is the most susceptible to blister formation, and it is there that the 

 ectoplasm most frequently breaks. Furthermore, the aboral side 

 is more susceptible than the oral, being nearly as delicate as the 

 anterior end, in regard to both blister formation and ectoplasmic 

 rupture. In this connection it is interesting to recall the work of 

 Child (1914) who demonstrated in Paraincciuin anterior hyper- 

 sensitiveness to cyanide. 



(3) When the granules of the seemingly still living protoplasm 

 are discharged thru the ectoplasm into a blister they do not be- 

 have precisely like free particles in a liquid; they keep together 

 in globular masses, or in thread-like protrusions. Sometimes 

 they may become differentiated even more distinctly from the still 

 hyaline portion of the blister by forming a new superficial film. 

 These observations are in accord with the researches of Seifriz 

 (1921), who noted the tendency of living protoplasm to remain 

 immiscible with water, and " to form, almost instantly, a mem- 

 brane on its surface." 



Alcohol and Resistance to Starvation None of the earlier 

 studies on the influence of alcohol on Paramecium appears to 

 have considered the effect on starving cultures. In attacking 

 this problem cultures were prepared by adding one volume of 

 dormant stock culture to one volume of an alcohol of twice the 

 desired strength. Such mixtures were apportioned in 25 cc. 

 fractions to about 100 Stender dishes of 30 cc. capacity. Most 

 of the dishes were kept at room temperature, and the covers 

 removed only when observations were made at various intervals. 

 A few of the cultures were temperature-controlled. 



By a method described at length in my original essay (Bills, 

 I923a) determinations were made on the maintenance of the 

 alcoholic content of these cultures. It was found that in spite 

 of the closely fitting covers on the dishes the alcoholic content 

 diminished at the rate of 21 per cent, o.f the original amount 

 in five days, and 56 per cent, in 31 days, these values including 

 loss by consumption as well as loss by evaporation. Both values 

 are averages of 45 cultures containing 1.25 per cent, ethyl alcohol. 



