THE WORLD OF LIVING ORGANISMS 173 



action-rule of the sea-urchin, which would call the star-fish 

 " something to be poisoned " does not suffice the latter as a 

 comprehensive rule ; and this quite apart from the fact that 

 the primitive organisation of the sea-urchin's nervous system 

 excludes the possibility of action-rules being received by the 

 mark-organ. 



The action-rule is confined to the nipping by the pedi- 

 cellariae and the emission of poison. We cannot refer the 

 consequences to it, i.e. the specific effect of the poison on the 

 nervous system of the star-fish, and the movement of recoil 

 that foUows in virtue of that animal's anatomical organisation. 

 And yet there is revealed here a framework in the star-fish 

 that functions in the interest of the sea-urchin, and which 

 we may speak of as the counter-framework of that animal. 

 This counter-framework by no means includes the whole 

 framework of the star-fish as we know it, nor does it form a 

 delimited portion of the star-fish's body, considered either 

 anatomically or physiologically. From the sea-urchin's point 

 of view it can be comprehended as a unity only if we consider 

 it as an extension of that animal's action-rule. 



Although the counter-framework of the indicator con- 

 stitutes an integrating portion of the function-circle of the 

 receiver, and consequently comes under the function-rule, 

 yet it is not subject to control by that rule as is the framework 

 of the animal's own body, which, after injury, can be formed 

 anew by the function-rule. 



The activity of the function-rule does not extend beyond 

 the body of the subject ; nevertheless it embraces the counter- 

 framework of the other animal, although it exercises no direct 

 effect thereon. Especially interesting are the relations of the 

 function-rule to the medium, from which it also, so to speak, 

 cuts out a counter-framework in order to form the indicator 

 subjectively. If we take into consideration all the inter- 

 adjustments of the function-circles that connect the framework 



