. No. 420.] HISTORY OF STICHOSTEMMA. 987 
During starvation a great reduction in size occurs. During 
the earlier stages the animal grows somewhat more slender, 
but later its length is also greatly reduced. In the case men- 
tioned in the preceding paragraph the three specimens found 
at the end of the six months were less than five millimeters in 
length, though of about the normal proportions. When placed 
in the jar the specimens were of average size, Z.e., from twelve 
to fifteen millimeters in length. The reduction in size was 
wholly due to lack of food. 
The starving forms usually acquired after a few weeks a 
blackish pigmentation, granules of black pigment being depos- 
ited in the body wall and increasing in abundance until in 
some cases the body had lost its light yellowish color and 
become a dull, dirty brown. In such cases microscopical 
examination showed the whole surface of the body to be 
dotted with small granules of black pigment. This pigment 
is not altogether absent in newly captured and apparently well 
fed specimens, but is usually not sufficiently abundant to have 
any appreciable effect upon the general coloration of the 
body. It undoubtedly corresponds to the pigment mentioned 
by Montgomery (95, pp. 99-100) as occurring as an interstitial 
tissue. 
The increase in the amount of pigment is undoubtedly con- 
nected with some alteration in the metabolism. It is possible 
that it is not directly connected with starvation but with some 
other effect of captivity; but, as far as my own experience is 
concerned, it appears in specimens which have been without 
food for some time. Decapitated specimens or pieces of the 
body, which may live for months, sometimes become distinctly 
brown or blackish. 
REACTION TO STIMULI. 
As regards the reactions of the animal to stimuli, it is not 
intended to give here the results of extended experimentation. 
Some work has been done along these lines, but the results 
are reserved for a later time. 
