It was only necessary to expose
a quantity of these animals to direct sunlight to observe the rapid
evolution of bubbles of gas, which, when collected and analyzed, yielded
from 45 to 55 per cent. of oxygen. Both chemical and histological
observations showed the abundant presence of starch in the green cells,
and thus these planarians, and presumably also _Hydra spongilla_, etc.,
were proved to be truly "vegetating animals."
Being at Naples early in the spring of 1879, I exposed to sunlight some
of the reputedly chlorophyl containing animals to be obtained there,
namely, _Bonellia viridis_ and _Idotea viridis_, while Krukenberg had
meanwhile been making the same experiment with _Bonellia_ and _Anthea_
at Trieste. Our results were totally negative, but so far as _Bonellia_
was concerned this was not to be wondered at since the later
spectroscopic investigations of Sorby and Schenk had fully confirmed
the opinion of Lacaze-Duthiers as to the complete distinctness of
its pigment from chlorophyl. Krukenberg, too, who follows these
investigators in terming it _bonellein_, has recently figured the
spectra of Anthea-green, and this also seems to differ considerably from
chlorophyl, while I am strongly of the opinion that the pigment of
the green crustaceans is, if possible, even more distinct, having not
improbably a merely protective resemblance.
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