THE ACTIVITIES OF CORYMOEPHA 317 



ting locally below the wound and on the side away from it, the 

 hydranth, as might have been expected, was applied accurately 

 to the stimulated spot. On applying the stimulus directly 

 below the wound the hydranth was turned to that side but 

 never descended far enough to cover the actual region of the 

 stimulus. The failure here seemed to be due to the deficiency 

 in the musculature as a result of the operation rather than a 

 defect in transmission. Since a decapitated stalk responds to 

 local stimulation in the type of experiment just described with 

 as much success as a normal one does, I conclude that, though 

 longitudinal transmission is the predominate feature of the 

 stalk, transverse transmission also occurs in this part of 

 Corymorpha. 



This conclusion is supported by the observation that a de- 

 capitated stalk which has been partly cut through transversely 

 at several different levels and from several different sides, as 

 Torrey ('04 a, p. 407) has already described, will nevertheless 

 localize, though incompletely, a stimulated point. 



From the observations and experimental results recorded in 

 this section, it seems fair to conclude that nervous transmission 

 in Corymorpha is very probably limited to the ectoderm and is 

 diffuse, except that in the stalk longitudinal transmission pre- 

 dominates much over transverse. Notwithstanding this primi- 

 tive state of nervous development, reactions that have all the 

 essentials of a nervous reflex may occur. Thus, when a proximal 

 tentacle is vigorously stimulated, not only does it and some of 

 the adjacent tentacles respond, but the proboscis commonly 

 turns toward the point of stimulation. This accurate form of 

 response of a distantly located organ to a circumscribed stimulus 

 has all the characteristics of a reflex, though it is probably de- 

 pendent upon the activities of a nerve-net whioh has the capac- 

 ity of calling into action more easily those muscles that lie near 

 the receptive position than those that lie far from it. 



