No. 2.] STOLONIZA TION IN A UTOL YTUS VARIANS. 3 1 7 



forms. This is followed by the successive formation by bud- 

 ding of a number of stolons which owe their origin, as has 

 been seen, to an outgrowth of tissue from the last segment of 

 the parent stock. The maturing and separation of the stolon 

 would complete the cycle of stolonization in this species, but 

 frequently specimens may be found which give evidence of the 

 formation of a second stolon by fission anterior to the position 

 of the chain and at the expense of the segments of the parent 

 stock. This stolon appears after the stolons of the chain have 

 all been separated, the remaining embryonic segments of the 

 preexisting chain forming the posterior region of this stolon. 

 The formation of such a stolon in this species is always by true 

 fission, such as described by de St. -Joseph ; and in no instance 

 have I found an embryonic region indicating the formation of a 

 chain as occurs in the development of the first stolon. 



The cycle of stolonization in Autolytus varians, therefore, 

 consists in : 



1. The development of a first stolon on the young asexual 

 individual by a process akin to that of fission. 



2. The development of a chain of stolons from the last 

 segment of the parent stock by the process of budding, and 

 the successive separation of an unknown and possible variable 

 number of stolons. 



3. The development of possibly a single stolon posterior to 

 the middle region of the parent stock by a true fission. 



The subsequent fate of the parent stock from which the last 

 stolon has been separated by fission and which may consist of 

 from 19 to 24 setigerous segments, I have not been able to 

 satisfactorily determine in this species. Some of these indi- 

 viduals may be found to contain eggs as far forward as the seg- 

 ment posterior to the gizzard, thus suggesting the conversion 

 of the parent stock into a sexual individual by a process similar 

 to that described as Epigamie by Malaquin, to which I have 

 previously referred in another species (14). None of the speci- 

 mens found, however, would warrant this assumption. 



Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa. 

 November 20, 1897. 



