[Illustration: Figure 35. Path of an _Amoeba discoides_ showing that
continuous light is unnecessary for the maintenance of a wavy path. The
ameba moved under light controlled conditions from 3:02¼ to 3:13¼. From
then until 3:43 the light was turned off except for 10-second flashes at
3:18, 3:22½, 3:24, and so on. The ameba had probably come to rest for
some reason between 3:24 and 3:30½, for an unexpectedly small amount of
space was covered in that time. In spite of this disturbance, however,
the evidence indicates that light is without causal effect in the wavy
path of the ameba. Length of the ameba, 450 microns.]
darkness the ameba merely kept on in the direction it was going when the
light was turned off. But during the second period of darkness the ameba
changed its course in such a way as to make a smooth curve. In the third
period of darkness the ameba continued on its course completing the
wave. It is thus apparent that continuous light is not necessary to the
formation of waves nor is it detrimental to their formation. Figure 35
shows essentially the same thing as Figure 34. The light was turned on
from 3:30½ to 3:32. During this time the behavior of the ameba was
irregular, but whether this was caused by the light or not, cannot be
stated. At 3:43 the ameba came into contact with a small particle which
changed its course. The slow speed of movement of these two amebas was
due to the low temperature (20° C.), the experiments being performed in
January. The apparent connection between longer waves and darkness has
not yet been investigated.
Figure 36 shows the path of an _Amoeba proteus_ under controlled light
conditions as above described, but instead of moving over a polished
plate glass surface as in the previous experiments, the ameba in this
experiment moved over a fine ground-glass surface. It will be observed
that for the first twenty minutes the path shows smooth waves, although
at 11:53 and 11:55 there was a slight disturbance which was associated
with the formation of numerous pseudopods. From 12:07 on, however, the
path becomes irregular, the wave-like character being almost
obliterated. Associated with this irregularity is the presence of
numerous pseudopods. This is a sample of a number of records which
indicates that in _proteus_ and _discoides_ the presence of numerous
pseudopods in some way prevents the ameba from moving in a path marked
by smooth and conspicuous waves.
[Illustration: Figure 36. Showing how smooth waves in the path of an
_Amoeba proteus_ in clavate shape become disturbed by the projection of
prominent pseudopods. Although there was considerable disturbance due to
the formation of pseudopods at 11:53 the conformation of the wave was
not changed until the stage preceding the one at 12:07, when the
formation of numerous pseudopods resulted in an irregular path. Length
of the ameba, about 600 microns.]
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