1897] Pylorie Ceca of Asterias Vulgaris. 1035 
ties as a food collector, on account of local inertia and the total 
absence of tentacles, were supplemented by the life sustaining 
currents induced by its more active neighbors. These condi- 
tions are near Philadelphia furnished by Urnatella gracilis 
Leidy and Pottsiella erecta Kreepelin (Paludicella erecta Potts). 
I regret to be obliged to add that Iam not aware that either 
of these has been collected in any other neighborhood. 
Philadelphia, August 19th, 1897. 
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL 
FUNCTION OF THE PYLORIC CHCA OF 
ASTERIAS VULGARIS. 
By ELLEN A. STONE. 
The size and position of the pyloric ceca of our common 
star-fish, Asterias vulgaris, indicate an organ of great import- 
ance, yet their physiological function has been surprisingly 
little touched upon in any of the standard text-books of zo- 
ology. The most we can learn from them isa confused notion 
that they secrete some digestive fluid, which, according to 
some authors, is of unknown function, while others state that 
it is probably the representative of the bile of higher animals. 
Dr. Griffiths and Dr. Fredericq, however, have demonstrated 
in the European species, Uraster rubens, the presence of active 
digestive ferments.' Their results, together with the abund- 
ant material and opportunity for studying these organs in 
Asterias, suggested the following experiments, which were car- 
ried on at the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Brown 
University, under the direction of Mr. Ralph W. Tower. 
The experimental methods and results are embodied in the 
following observations: 
A. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE GLAND. 
I. The Reaction of the Secretion. 
Before making any examination for the ferment or ferments 
that might be contained in the secretion of the pyloric cca, 
‘A. B: Griffiths, “ Physiology of the Invertebrata,” pp. 83-85. 
