214 Natural History Bulletin. 



coordination to pass the offending objects away from the test. 

 In order to show w^hether this action was entirely automatic 

 or partook of the element of choice, the following experiment 

 was tried. An animal was placed wdth the actinal pole 

 against the side of a large glass vessel, to which the ambu- 

 lacral feet soon adhered. In this position a portion of the 

 equator was uppermost. The balls treated with acid were 

 then placed as exactly as possible upon the ei|uator. They 

 were promptly rolled off in the direction opposite the normal 

 one, that is, toward the apical system. This seemed a clear 

 indication that choice was exercised in deciding the direction 

 of removal. If the action of the spines and pedicellarue had 

 been purely automatic, they would have removed the objects 

 in the customary direction. This would have brought the 

 irritating substance in contact with the numerous sensitive am- 

 bulacral feet, which were adhering to the glass on the actinal 

 side. The conclusion that volition was involved was further 

 strengthened by placing non-irritating balls in the same position, 

 when they were worked off in both directions indifferently. 



Another experiment was tried to determine whether there 

 was anv rudiment of memor\- to be discovered in the sea- 

 urchins. Placing a specimen on the table, a lighted match 

 was held near the test. The lieat caused the animal to move 

 away from the match. After it had progressed some distance, 

 another lighted match was held on the side opposite the one 

 originalh' irritated. The animal at first retreated directlv 

 away from the second match, but upon approaching the place 

 where it had been burned h\ the tirst match, it turned and took 

 a course at rio-Jit angles to a line draivn hetiveen the tuo sources 

 of danger ! Tiie first match was no longer burning, of course, 

 and we may reasonably surmise that the animal changed its 

 course upon reiucnil)ering its former experience. The other 

 experiments were substantially the same as those tried b}- 

 Romanes.^ 



' "Jelly-Fish, .Star- l'"i!-h antl Sca-Urchiiis," page 301 et seq. The student 

 will he well repaid slunild he find lime for the perusal of this entire work 

 one of the most suggesti\ e of the nian\- C()ntril)utions to science made by 

 Professor I^omanes. 



