134 



ELECTRICITY AND PROTOPLASM 



[Cn. VI 



making the current, at that pole only which is turned towards 

 the anode. When the current is broken, on the contrary, a 

 contraction occurs at the kathode, the pseudopodia next the 

 anode becoming quiet. (VERWORN, '89 a , p. 19.) This relation 

 may be expressed in tabular form as follows : 



All Protista do not, however, according to VERWORN, respond 

 in the same way as Pelomyxa ; thus, with the constant current 

 of a certain intensity, he got in both Polystomella crispa, and 

 Actinosphserium, the following reaction : 



It must be said, however, that the reactions obtained in any 

 case are dependent upon the strength of current employed ; 

 thus, with a stronger current, the following result was obtained 

 with Actinosphaerium : - 



A comparison of the last two tables seems to indicate that, very 

 probably, with a current intermediate between the weak and 

 the strong current employed, we should get a result like that 

 obtained with Pelomyxa. At any rate, we may say that all 

 these cases tend to group themselves about the Pelomyxa for- 

 mula ; making : anode, excitation ; kathode, rest ; breaking : 

 anode, rest ; kathode, excitation. A brief designation of this 

 type is desirable. Since the condition at the anode upon 



