THE BEHAVIOR OE LOXOPHYLLUM AND ITS RELA- 

 TION TO REGENERATION 



BV 



S. J. HOLMES 

 With Seven Figures 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPECIES 



The general form of Loxophvllum meleagris, the species studied, 

 is flattened and leaf-hke, and tapering toward the anterior end 

 which is turned toward the dorsal margin. The anterior third 

 or fourth of the body is flatter and less granular than the hinder 

 portion and the margins of the body are thinned out, especially 

 along the oral side. The middle and posterior regions are more 

 convex and may be considerably distended when gorged with 

 food. The body is ciliated on the right side on which the ani- 

 mal usually glides. The cilia are arranged in rows which extend 

 in a longitudinal direction except near the anterior end of the 

 body where they curve toward the dorsal side. The whole oral 

 margin is also furnished with cilia, but none could be detected on 

 the left side of the body. 



The body wall is traversed with myonemes, both on the right 

 and the left side, which extend longitudinally for the most 

 part, but curve dorsally, like the rows of cilia, near the anterior 

 end. They are more conspicuous and apparently thicker near 

 the anterior end of the body, and they are especially well developed 

 near the oral side. Trichocysts are abundant along the entire 

 oral margin and around the anterior end of the body, forming a 

 uniform series closely set at right angles to the surface. On the 

 dorsal side the trichocysts are mainly confined to the small promi- 

 nences, a dozen or more in number, which give that side its crenu- 

 lated contour. Numerous trichocysts occur also on the right or 

 ciliated side. 



