532 



THE AMEBIC AX XATUEALIST 



[Vol. LII 



susceptible to quite another explanation than the natural 

 selection implied by the term "adaptiveness" which, in 

 accordance with Jennings (1906), is based on the idea 

 that "it tends to preserve the life of the 

 animal. ' ' Furthermore, when the groups 

 of facts associated with the character- 

 istic rotation are brought in review, it 

 would seem that the explanation sug- 

 gested may go far toward interpreting 

 the origin of the fundamental activities 

 as well as the origin of- the characters in 

 general of organisms. 



In connection with the preparation of 

 a systematic review of the order Eug- 

 lenoidina belonging to the class Flagel- 

 lata of the Protozoa (1915), it was noted 

 with decided interest that a large number 

 of the forms possessed an oblique stria- 

 tion ranging from almost indiscernible 

 Glenoid fiJ eiS markin & s to characters of great com- 

 iiius^attBgieffhand plexity impressed upon a cellulose-like 

 afrtri»tac3!rtt e on envelope (e. g., Euglena 

 Hon C (ob k s Ir l rer rot i a n EhrenD -> Phacits pyrum (Ehrenb.), Het- 

 rront) and progres- eronema spirale Klebs, etc.), the stria? 

 Ills '".ir'-mUiw extending forward .and to the left, The 

 Bage11 -"■ character also appeared to be invariably 



correlated with an axial rotation of the organism from 

 right over to left (Fig. 1). Such a movement is to be de- 

 scribed in physical terms as "clockwise," the position of 

 the observer being in front of the advancing organism. 



The facts took on additional interest when it was noted 

 that forms with a reverse striation seemed entirely ab- 

 sent from the northern hemisphere, although such forms 

 existed in the southern hemisphere. 



Inasmuch as the euglenoids are in general positively 

 phototactic under normal conditions, it would immedi- 

 ately occur to one seriously considering the question, that 



