SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS. 



Abstracts of Communications. 

 Ninety-ninth meeting. 

 University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College. 

 President Calkins in the chair. 

 60 (1435) 

 The neuromotor system of Euplotes. 

 By C. V. Taylor (by invitation). 1 



[From the Zoological Laboratory, University of California, 

 Berkeley, Calif] 



The fibrillar system of ciliate protozoons was described by 

 Sharp for Diplodinium, by Yocom for Euplotes. An integrated 

 fibrillar system in the flagellate Giardia was described by Kofoid 

 and Christiansen and for Trichonympha and Trichomitus by Ko- 

 foid and Swezy. The designation neuromotor apparatus has been 

 given to this integrated organ system of the Protozoa, on the basis 

 of morphological considerations and anatomical relations. Ex- 

 perimental proof of the conductile function of certain elements 

 in this system has been accomplished in Euplotes by microdissec- 

 tion with the Barber apparatus. With this instrument actuating 

 quartz microscalpels it has been possible to cut selected fibrils and 

 determine the effects of the cutting and subsequent regeneration 

 upon the previously analyzed stereotyped behavior of this organ- 

 ism. 



Euplotes patella is a hypotrichous ciliate protozoon about 100- 

 150 microns in length. Its neuromotor system consists of a small 

 bilobed central mass, the motorium, at the corner of the cyto- 

 stome. From this a fiber runs anteriorly and to the left at the 

 base of the membranelles the full length of the adoral zone con- 

 necting with the bases of these motor organs. An extensive fibrillar 



1 Presented by Professor C. A. Kofoid. 



IOI 



