No. 420.] HISTORY OF STICHOSTEMMA. 1003 
growth of the oócytes. These cases afford a most instructive 
example of the relation to each other of some of the various 
so-called vital activities. In the presence of the brain and 
anterior portion of the nerve cords the bodily movements 
appear to take precedence over other functions, even though 
the sexual products are not completed. But when the anterior 
portions of the nervous system are absent the animal, being 
without the power of regenerating the lost parts, is less affected 
by stimuli, and a larger portion of the potential energy 
is devoted to the elaboration of the sexual products. This 
process must, as a matter of fact, be regarded as the function 
next in importance to that of carrying out the normal move- 
ments and responses to stimuli. 
Mention has been made of the fact that animals kept in cap- 
tivity without food are not likely to deposit their eggs after the 
first week or two of captivity, even though artificial removal of 
the egg cells may show them to be capable of fertilization and 
development. In such cases the fate of the egg cells is quite 
remarkable. They may remain unchanged in appearance for 
two or three weeks, but after a time evidences of alteration in 
their structure are visible even in the living animal. The egg 
cells become less opaque in appearance and a clear space appears 
about each, apparently the result of thickening and swelling of 
the membrane. Later many of the eggs break up into round 
which sections show to be merely disin- 
masses and granules, 
But the more remarkable 
tegration products and not cells. 
fact is that, as the changes go on, many OF all of the eggs pass 
out of the gonads and come to lie within the alimentary canal, 
where they serve as food and are actually digested. Continued 
observation from day to day of jsolated specimens leaves no 
doubt that this actually occurs. In many cases the egg cells 
are still intact when they enter the alimentary canal and can 
clearly be seen there, moving to and fro with the movements 
and contractions of the body. Disintegration and digestion of 
the egg goes on rapidly in the alimentary canal, however, and 
in a day or two the whole intestine may be filled with a gran- 
ular mass which represents the cytoplasm and yolk of the egg. 
In case disintegration of the egg has begun before it enters 
