First of all we took an Echinus, and by means of a thread suspended
it upside-down in a tank of water half-way up the side of the tank,
and in such a way that only the feet on one side of the ab-oral pole
were able to reach the perpendicular wall of the tank. These feet as
quickly as possible established their adhesions to the perpendicular
wall, and, the thread being then removed, the Echinus was left
sticking to the side of the tank in an inverted position by means of
the ab-oral ends of two adjacent feet-rows (Fig. 59). Under these
circumstances, as we should expect from the previous experiments, the
animal sets about righting itself as quickly as possible. Now, if
the righting action of the feet were entirely and only of a serial
character, the righting would require to be performed by rearing the
animal upwards; the effect of foot after foot in the same rows being
applied in succession to the side of the tank, would require to be
that of rotating the globular shell against the side of the tank
towards the surface of the water, and therefore against the action
of gravity. This is sometimes done, which proves that the energy
required to perform the feat is not more than a healthy Echinus can
expend. But much more frequently the Echinus adopts another device,
and the only one by which it is possible for him to attain his
purpose without the labour of rotating upwards: he rotates laterally
and downwards in the form of a spiral. Thus, let us call the five
feet-rows, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Figs. 59, 60, 61), and suppose that
1 and 2 are in use near their ab-oral ends in holding the animal
inverted against the perpendicular side of a tank. The downward
spiral rotation would then be effected by gradually releasing the
outer feet in row 1, and simultaneously attaching the outer feet in
row 2 (_i.e._ those nearest to row 3, and furthest from row 1), as
far as possible to the outer side of that row. The effect of this is
to make the globe roll far enough to that side to enable the inner
feet of row 3 (_i.e._ those nearest to row 2), when fully protruded,
to touch the side of the tank. They establish their adhesions, and
the residue of feet in row 1, now leaving go their hold, these new
adhesions serve to roll the globe still further round in the same
direction of lateral rotation, and so the process proceeds from row
to row; but the globe does not merely roll along in a horizontal
direction, or at the same level in the water, for each new row that
comes into action takes care, so to speak, that the feet which it
employs shall be those which are as far below the level of the feet
in the row last employed as their length when fully protruded (_i.e._
their power of touching the tank) renders possible. The rotation of
the globe thus becomes a double one, lateral and downwards, till
the animal assumes its normal position with its oral pole against
the perpendicular tank wall. So considerable is the rotation in the
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