VITALITY OF ACTINIA BERMUDENSIS 355 



On the 20th the water in each of the bottles had become cloudy, 

 giving evidence of putrefaction. All three of the animals were, 

 therefore, removed to fresh sea-water; two were dead, but one 

 revived shortly after it was placed in running water. This means 

 that a specimen of A. bermudensis is able to live sealed in 100 cc. 

 of unsteriHzed sea-water for from five to six days. Sterhzed sea- 

 water was also used, but the results did not differ. In this con- 

 nection it is interesting to note that of several other animals (a 

 star-fish, a sea-urchin, a coral — Isophyllia — and an ascidian) 

 which were treated in the same way none hved more than twenty- 

 four hours, and most of them less than twelve. 



The animals which were placed under corresponding con- 

 ditions, but in the dark, all proved to be alive at the end of the 

 fourth day, and in a'nother series of experiments one lived for 

 five days in the absence of light. This experiment, therefore, 

 would seem to cast doubt upon the assumption that the Zooxan- 

 thellae are true symbionts. 



Experiment 2 — Air (unsealed). On July 14th three A. ber- 

 mudensis, still attached to the rocks occupied by them when col- 

 lected, were allowed to remain in the air (but not in direct sun- 

 light) wholly out of contact with sea-water. As this species is 

 usually found above low-tide level, it could reasonably be expected 

 that the animals would survive for a considerable length of time 

 under the conditions of the experiment. No effort was made to 

 regulate the temperature, since in their natural habitat there is 

 a moderately great variation in this factor. In this experiment 

 the anemones were not exposed to direct sunlight, inasmuch as 

 they usually frequent shady crevices. 



After six days in the air the three specimens gave the appear- 

 ance of large dried raisins attached to the rocks. Beheving that 

 the animals must certainly be dead, two of them were placed in 

 sea-water; in less than five minutes they had revived, with 

 tentacles expanded, and appeared normal in every respect. On 



and place it in running sea-water. Consequently, in cases in which the animal 

 revived when removed from its confinement, it was impossible to know how long 

 it would have lived under the adverse conditions. The results, however, are 

 sufficiently striking to bear evidence of the great vitality which the animal 

 possesses. 



