POISONS. 229 
large basin, into which I then poured sea-water 
until the level was the same inside and outside the 
breaker, 7.e. until the two bodies of water all but 
met over the brim. Having divided the medusa 
across its whole diameter, with the exception of a 
small piece of marginal tissue at one side to act as 
a connecting link between the two resulting halves, 
I transferred one of these halves to the water in the 
basin, leaving the other half still in the beaker— 
the marginal tissue which served to unite the two 
halves being thus supported by the rim of the 
beaker. Over the minute portion of the marginal 
tissue which was thus of necessity exposed to the 
air, I placed a piece of blotting-paper which dipped 
freely into the sea-water. Lastly, I poisoned the 
water in the beaker with successive doses of curare 
solution. 
The results obtained by this method were most 
marked and beautiful. Previous to the adminis- 
tration of the poison both halves of the medusa 
were of course contracting vigorously, waves oI 
contractile influence now running from the half in 
the beaker to the half in the basin, and now vice 
versd. But after the half in the beaker had become 
effectually poisoned by the curare, all motion in it 
completely ceased, the other, or unpoisoned half, 
continuing to contract independently. I now 
stimulated the poisoned half by nipping a portion 
of its margin with the forceps. Nothing could be 
more decided than the result. It will be remem- 
bered that when any part of Staurophora laciniata 
is pinched with the forceps or otherwise irritated, 
11 
