AUTHOR S ABSTRACT' OP THI8 PAPER ISSUED 

 BY THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICE, DECEMBER 15 



THE REFORMATION OF THE CRYSTALLINE STYLE 

 IN MYA ARENARIA AFTER EXTRACTION 



CHARLES HOWARD EDMONDSON 



Zoological Laboratory of the University of Oregon 



THIRTY FIGURES 



CONTENTS 



1 . Introduct ion 259 



2. Method of procedure 262 



3. The mature crystalline stjde in Mya arenaria 266 



4. The relation of the crystalline style to the intestinal tract in Mya arenaria, 



and features of the style sac , 270 



5. The gastric shield in Mya arenaria 276 



6. Details of the experiments 278 



7. The source of the crystalline style 287 



8. Summary and conclusions 289 



1. INTRODUCTION 



For more than two hundred years after Anton de Heide's first 

 allusion (1686) to the 'stylus crystallinus' in his monograph on 

 the common mussel, the significance of this peculiar organ present 

 in certain molluscs was a matter of mere conjecture. 



Nelson ('18) presented a very complete review of the many 

 theories advanced by a host of observers in the period during 

 which the crystalline style has been an object of attention. It is 

 to be noted that within the past thirty-eight years, as a result of 

 experimental work, this long list of hypotheses regarding the 

 value of the crystalline style to those molluscs possessing it has 

 been, by a gradual process of elimination, reduced to three, each 

 having the support of investigators of considerable ability. 



Basing conclusions upon the fact of the dissolution of the 

 crystalline style in certain lamellibranchs during periods of star- 

 vation and hibernation, Hazay ('81), Haseloff ('88), and others 

 have defended the theory that the organ represents reserve food 



259 



