228 



THE AMEBIC AX XATURALIST [Vol. LV 



deeper water. Collingwood mentions it as assuming 

 certain aspects when it falls through the water to a con- 

 siderable depth, where it is fre(iuently found. M. leonina 

 possesses the same hal)it. In so doini;' the nmscles of 

 leonina are absolutely relaxed and tlir animal appears 

 dead. The means l)y which the animal ucts to the sur- 

 face are not known, unless it be by its uvmral mode of 

 swimming. One striking differt'nt-c bi'twt'cu these tw^o 

 forms is: M. leonina may swim with the back upward, 

 "the weight of the papillary i)r()l()ngati()ns," important 

 in *S'. pelagica, being apparently of no account. 



The eel-grass olTers an excellent feeding ground for 

 Melihe. Here the water must not only be calm, but may 

 abound in small Crustacea. Zosfer/i, which grows in 

 large beds in the bays near thv IJiologieal Station at 

 Friday Harbor, otfers also a suitable assembling place 

 for Melihe where it may pair and lay its eggs. At low-tide 

 the eel-grass floats on the surface of the water and leaves 

 many inclosures of open water. In these open spaces 

 M. leonina collect and copulate, as was observed in the 

 .summer of 1!)14. In such spaces, as described, a con- 

 <ideialile nnml)er of Melihe had collected, and some of 

 tiicm wei-e eopulnting, being united head to head, the foot 

 of one mate facing the surface. The excellent condition 

 of the water offered an ample opportunity to study the 

 mode of swimming and the manner of feeding. The 

 former has partly been described above, and will further 

 be <liscussed under the to])ic on ol)servations in the labo- 

 rator\-: tln' lattei- coi-iTsponds to I-'.liot's di^scription 

 (l!)(ll') of M. fimhrla/n A1<1. and llane. .1/. Irouiiia is not 

 so .lelinite in it^ move.nents durin- it> feeding as is 

 .1/. In.lnuita, y.t >om. similar metho.l of feeding is pnr- 

 -no.i. ilntl, >,M-ei,- haw n large hood. In thr ca.M" of 



lrn,rnn, \hr \uuh\ i> rXten.le.l VTV widely (l''ig. 1), whell 



the animal i> searching for food, and i> pei'i..dieally eon- 

 traetcd into n knob ( Fi- i'). vvln^n f.-.d is obtain. mI. 

 When the hood i> open, /ro.lun tos>es it sidewav>. hohl- 



