CHAPTER II. 13 



of sea water. The animal is placed in a jar containing half a litre of 

 sea water, and the solution of nicotin is gradually conducted into it 

 by means of a thread, acting as a syphon, of such a thickness as to be 

 capable of carrying over the whole of the solution of nicotin in twenty- 

 four hours. See also Mitth. Zool Stat. Neapel, Bd. ii, 1880, p. 123. 



17. Chloroform may be employed either in the liquid state or in 

 the state of vapour. The animals being extended, a watch-glass 

 containing chloroform may be floated on the surface of the water 

 in which they are contained, and the whole covered with a bell-glass. 

 As soon as they have become insensible they are killed by means of 

 hot sublimate or chromic acid solution plentifully poured on to 

 them. (KOROTNEFF, Mitth. Zool Stat. Neapel, v, 1884, p. 233.) 



Liquid chloroform is employed by squirting it in small quantities 

 on to the surface of the water containing the animals. A syringe 

 or pipette having a very small orifice, so as thoroughly to pulverise 

 the chloroform, should be employed. Small quantities only should 

 be projected at a time, and the dose should be repeated every five 

 minutes until the animals are anaesthetised. 



I have seen large Medusae very completely anaesthetised in ex- 

 tension in an hour or two by this method. ANDRES finds that it 

 does not succeed with Actiniae, as with them maceration of the 

 tissues supervenes before anaesthesia is established. 



PREYER (Mitth. Zool. Stat. Neapel, Bd. vii, 1886, p. 27) recommends 

 chloroform water for star -fishes. 



WADDINGTON employs a mixture of equal parts of 1 per cent, 

 sol. of cocaine (or eucain) and saturated sol. of chloroform in water 

 (sea or fresh), according to the habitat. 



18. Ether and Alcohol may be administered in the same way. 

 ANDRES has obtained good results with Actiniae by the use of a 

 mixture (invented by SALVATORE LO BIANCO) containing 20 parts of 

 glycerine, 40 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol, and 40 parts of sea water. 

 This mixture should be carefully poured on to the surface of the 

 water containing the animals, and allowed to diffuse quietly through 

 it. Several hours are sometimes necessary for this. 



EISIG (Fauna u. Flora Golf. Neapel, xvi, 1887, p. 239) benumbs 

 Capitellidae by putting them into a mixture of 1 part of 70 per 

 cent, alcohol with 9 parts of sea water. 



OESTERGREN (Zeit. wiss. Mik., xix, 1903, p. 300) makes a saturated 

 (7 to 8 per cent.) solution of ether in sea or soft water, and uses ifc 

 either concentrated or diluted to about 1 per cent., and finds it to 

 succeed with all classes of aquatic animals. 



