1915] BOVIE—SCHUMANN RAYS 153 
tinued exposure causes these coagulated masses to form faster 
than they are extruded. Soon a swelling appears, which bursts, 
and the protoplasm flows out. 
In Stylonychia, the protoplasm disintegrates directly, and 
becomes miscible with the surrounding water. If the current of 
the discharge tube is increased to 60 or 70 milliamperes the dis- 
integration begins at once. The infusorian darts across the field, 
leaving a trail of its cytolyzed protoplasm behind. The organism 
continues to move until only a few cilia with an attached mass of 
protoplasm is left intact, and this cytolyzes the instant motion 
ceases. 
When thin-walled fungous spores are exposed to the light, the 
protoplasm either takes on a coagulated appearance, or the spore 
bursts. The spores which burst explode with such force that they 
are shot backward by the reaction. After the explosion a small 
mass of coagulated protoplasm is seen lying near the exploded 
spore, 
This brief description of the visible effects of the Schumann 
rays is sufficient to indicate that these ultra-violet light rays have 
a most violent effect upon protoplasm. The writer has demon- 
strated by methods not described in this paper that the effect of 
the light is upon the organism itself and not upon the surrounding 
medium. 
Vesicle formation and the bursting of spores point strongly to 
changes in osmotic relations or in imbition, which may be con- 
nected with the fact, as shown in a previous paper,’ that the longer 
ultra-violet light waves have the power to break down proteins. 
It will undoubtedly be found that these rays have a similar, and, 
judging from the violence of their action, a much greater power. 
LaBoratory oF PLANT PuHySsIOLOGY 
Harvarp UNIVERSITY 
4 Science N.S. 37: 24. 1913. 
