68 THE PSYCHIC LIFE 



merged vegetable patches, which they often cover hke 

 small, closely-mown lawns, of a green, brown, or blue 

 color, according to the species; they turn the forward 

 part of their bodies, which is elongated in the shape 

 of a trumpet, about in all directions, and seek to unite 

 with each other by the broadened extremity which 

 corresponds to the bell of the trumpet." 



Among the numerous species forming part of the 

 group of Oxytrichinae, the act of coition likewise ex- 

 hibits certain interesting preliminaries. The two 

 individuals, whose bodies are generally very much 

 flattened, and of which the lower sides are provided 

 with cilia at times strongly developed, superpose them- 

 selves upon each other on the ventral side and mutu- 

 ally entangle the cilia which cover that region, while 

 with their cornicles, or anterior tentacles, they touch 

 repeatedly the different parts of each other's bodies. 

 These introductory moves frequently last for several 

 hours before copulation begins. 



As regards the act of copulation itself, it too is of 

 exceeding interest to the psychologist, who can ad- 

 mire the precision with which the two individuals as- 

 sume the attitude necessary for fecundation. 



During conjugation the two ciliated Infusoria are 

 always joined together at the aperture which forms 

 the mouth. It has been thought that this aperture 

 must play the part of a sexual orifice through which the 

 two animalcula in copulation effected the exchange 

 of reproductive matter; it has been suggested, more- 

 over, that an especial sexual orifice was present, quite 

 close to the mouth; but these questions of structure 

 are still doubtful. 



The attitude of these organisms during copulation 



